Star Fox: Chaotic War
by Simba Kid
Summary: In the midst of a civil war on a distant planet, Fox and Krystal start to warm up to each other. But there is little room for love in the fires of war.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Preface: It has been a few days after the most recent defeat of Andross on Sauria. Krystal has been staying at the Great Fox preparing to continue her quest to discover the cause of the destruction of Cerinia and her parents death. One of the team, however, doesn't want to see her leave.

Fox stood on the outside of the airlock, looking intently through the large window in the chrome-metal door. With him was his friend and confidant Falco, the tall, lean, hot-headed avian and chief pilot of Star Fox, the short and stocky frog Slippy, engineer extraordinaire, and finally Peppy, the old, battle-hardened hare. On the other side of the thick doors, smiling back at the mercenaries was Krystal, the beautiful blue-furred vixen Fox had rescued from a floating gem on his most recent mission to Sauria. She'd been used to channel the energy of the Krazoa sprits to revive Andross, Fox's archenemy.

She walked up the rusted ramp into the body of the rickety transport ship. After a moment, she appeared again behind the windshield at the controls. With the press of a button, it sputtered lazily into life, and rose slowly from the sleek floor of the airlock.

Behind her, the main doors of the airlock unlatched with a thud, and slowly pulled themselves apart, opening up to reveal a majestic view of the stars. Krystal urged the ship towards the gate, and pulled away from the Great Fox.

She and her ship began to shrink from Fox's vision as they flew off into space, until she had disappeared into the endless void of blackness.

From that moment, time spurred forward, passing in a blur. Years passed in seconds, and soon, Fox found himself all alone aboard the Great Fox, which had fallen into decay due to years without repair. Peppy was long since dead, Slippy had left, now a respected member of the mechanics guild. And Falco, Fox's dearest friend, had never been seen in years.

Now it was just him and ROB. The general that had replaced Pepper was much less fond of mercenaries than his predecessor, and Fox had not had an assignment for decades

Life became dull and uninteresting. The day consisted of an endless patrol of the Lylat system, meticulously searching section after section, always finding nothing. The inactivity took its toll on the vulpine. Due to a combination of disease and aging, his formerly athletic build had collapsed, leaving him a sickly old man.

Then, one day, while mapping the outer region of the ever-expanding galaxy, Fox suffered a heart attack. His He dropped from his chair, the controls slipping from his hands. He clenched his dying heart with his paw, knowing he would die. He felt a surge of pain wipe through his chest.

His life flashed before his eyes, and he realized with a growing sense of dread just how pointless it had been. It hit him like a slap in the face; all his life, he had been concerned only with money, with the next job, and never with actually _living_. He also realized that he had the perfect opportunity, Krystal, and he'd done nothing to act on it.

His mind flashed back to that day when she left. He wished now, more than ever, that she'd stayed. He could have been happy, but he had been too thickheaded to see her as anything more than a burden. And now, he would die alone…

Fox sat bolt upright, panting heavily and drenched in sweat. _'It was all a dream'_ Fox said to himself with a sigh of relief, falling back upon his bed. _'Today, Krystal leaves´ _He thought sadly. He didn't want that dream to become a reality.

Fox sat on his bed, his head hung low in depression, trying to marshal his thoughts. He glanced around his room, needing a change in view from the threadbare carpet. The walls were a simple chrome metal, a A few trophies from different missions lay on a low-lying table in the corner, including a couple of artifacts from the temples of Sauria. A framed picture of his father occupied centre stage.

"What would you do?" Fox asked the photo.

._'Man, I haven't felt this way about anyone before. I don't get it; I only freed her from that floating gem a few days ago, and already, I get this weird feeling when I'm around her. I want her to stay, more than anything. Aw, but what if she says no, I mean, she has been on her own for so long, maybe she likes it that way. But then why would she bother to come onboard the Great Fox in the first place just to leave?'_

Fox heaved a heavy sigh, and returned to debate raging in his mind.

The vulpine was jarred from his thoughts as ROB's familiar, detached voice came from the speaker in his room. "Attention crewmembers: Guest Krystal will depart from Great Fox in ten minutes."

Upon hearing this, Fox stood up from his bed. _'If I want any chance at her staying, then I need to ask her now. If she rejects me, then at least I will have no regrets about letting the opportunity pass unnoticed'_ Fox strode confidently out of his room and into the hallway, his mind set.

(Krystal)

Krystal was slowly walking toward her newly acquired ship from Sauria that she'd found after she'd been freed of her prison. A bag stuffed with what few possessions she had was hung over her shoulder, and swayed from side to side as she walked.

Her thoughts stumbled back of the one who had rescued her from her floating prison, the one who had offered her his home and a spare room, the one who, unbeknownst to this very person, had shown Krystal more compassion than anyone had in several years. She didn't want to leave him. She was thinking of Fox McCloud. _'I wish he would let me stay. I would ask him, but what if he said no? Seems that I'm no good at anything other than getting captured'._

She longed to ask Fox to stay, even if just for a few days. But if he refused and sent her on her way, then she would be crushed. And if he didn't ask, she would assume that he didn't care. All these thoughts and more continued to plague her mind as she approached her ship.

(Back to Fox)

Fox changed his previous walk into first a jog, then a sprint, fearing that Krystal would depart before he could find her.

He entered into the hangar bay just as Krystal was entering the cockpit of her ship.

"Krystal!" he called out just before the ramp closed. There was a short silence during which Krystal got out of the ship.

"Yes, Fox?" She replied hopefully. Fox ran over to her.

"I'm glad I caught you before you left. I have a question I wanted to ask you. Would you uh… like to …stay on the Great Fox for a few more days? I mean, you don't have anywhere you need to get to real soon, right, so why don't… you stay a little longer? It's nice having you around."

"Really, you want me to stay?" Krystal asked with mixed surprise and joy. Fox was taken of guard by her sudden and emphatic response.

"Well, I mean, if you want to, you can," Fox said, hoping to God he wasn't dreaming again.

"Of course I'll stay. I'd love to spend more time with around the Great Fox," she answered. _'But mostly I'd love to spend time with you'. _A brief moment of silence passed between the two vulpines, during which they stared into each other's eyes.

'_He has the most captivating green eyes,' _Krystal thought. Her memory flew back to the moment when he saved her from the six-story fall on Sauria.

The moment of silence was broken by the footsteps of first Slippy, then Falco. They were hoping to see Krystal off. They both rounded the corner and saw Fox and Krystal standing together, gazing into each other's eyes. "Sorry, hope we're not interrupting anything." Falco said in his characteristically sarcastic tone of voice, smiling mischievously.

I"Hey guys, guess what? Krystal can stay on for a while!" Fox said, ignoring Falco's previous comment as he turned to face his crewmates.

Upon hearing this, the avian and the amphibian looked at each other for a brief moment, then burst out laughing. Falco collapsed to the floor, unable to breathe, and was followed by Slippy. After a moment of rolling around on the floor, the laughter subsided and the two managed to stand again.

"Seriously, you're gonna let her stay just like that?" Falco said, calming down a little and starting to act serious.

"Well, she doesn't have anywhere else to go. So what are we supposed to do, leave her alone?" Fox retorted.

"No," Falco answered quietly. While he was perhaps the furthest from being a gentleman that anyone could be, he did have a heart. "But, where would she stay? She slept on the couch last night, but if she's gonna stay for a long time, she needs a good room."

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(A/N: Sorry this took so long to get up, but this week has been hell. My mom got in a car accident on Halloween, but she's okay, and I fractured my growth plate or something in wrestling, so I'm in a cast for three weeks. Thank God it's Friday.)


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: This chapter is slightly longer than the last. On with the story!

Chapter 2

"**_No… but, where would she stay? She slept on the couch last night, but if she's gonna stay for a long time, she needs a good room." Falco replied._** This was a problem that thought had not thought about. "Well, I'll take her to the guest room. Follow me, Krystal." With that, Fox walked out of the hangar bay, with Krystal close at his heels. Fox led Krystal through a series of hallways that finally led to the sleeping quarters for the whole team. "This is my room." Fox announced as he came to a door that had the words "Fox McCloud: Team Star Fox Leader" emblazoned above it on a shiny brass plate. "And those are the crew's rooms." Fox said, pointing to the other sleek, metal doors along the hallway. Each one had a brass plate above it that said who each room was inhabited by.

"And this is your room." Fox said as he walked over to yet another door, not unlike the others, only this one had no plate above it to signify its owner. Krystal approached the door, and it quickly slid open with a hiss. Krystal gave a short yelp of surprise and jumped back instinctively.

After a second of collecting herself, she found that she had jumped straight into the arms of Fox, who had been standing right behind her when the door opened. She looked up and their eyes met. There was a short and awkward silence between the two foxes. Krystal then took a step backwards and blushed.

"Will the door always do that when I walk up to it?" Krystal asked, looking back up at Fox. "Yeah, unfortunately." Fox replied, chucking. Krystal surveyed her new room. It was a medium sized room, with a window on the opposite wall. There was a bed shoved up against the wall with a small night table next to it.

The room was fine, except for the fact that the room looked as though it hadn't been used in a few years. Dust coated the floor like a rug. The bed was as dull grey as stone. There were cobwebs in the corners of the rooms.

Both vulpines stood in surprise for a moment, staring at the disgraceful state the room was in. "Uh, I guess we haven't cleaned in a while. I'll get ROB to fix it up. You don't have to sleep here tonight if it's still dirty later on. Uh, you can… stay in my room… if you'd like. I'll take the couch." Fox said. "Really? I mean, I don't want to force you out of your room." Krystal replied, touched by his offer. "It's no problem." Fox responded.

Another brief moment of silence passed, but it was soon ended as Fox tapped a button on his wrist communicator and started talking into it. "ROB, can you clean up room XL-5?" "Affirmative. Will arrive at room in 2 minutes."

With that, Fox turned away from his wrist communicator and back to the beautiful, blue vixen in front of him. "So, uh, you hungry?" Fox asked timidly. "Yeah." Krystal replied. "Well, I'll go get breakfast started. Come along when you're ready, but don't be too late. With Falco and Slippy around, the food won't last long." Fox said with a hint of humor. "Sure thing, I'll be down soon." Krystal replied to Fox.

"Well, I better get moving. I have to get breakfast started." Fox said. "See ya later, Krystal." Fox said, waving and starting down the hall.

Krystal watched Fox as he walked down the hallway. She stared at him as he began to shrink from her vision and finally as he began to turn the corner. "Fox?" She called out just before he vanished from sight. "Yeah Krystal?" Fox said as he stopped and turned to face her. "Thanks." Krystal said timidly. "No problem. Just helping out" With this, Fox rounded the corner and disappeared.

After Fox had left, Krystal gave herself a mental kick. _'Aw, that was a perfect chance to talk to Fox about how I feel' _Krystal then thought about the possible consequences; what if Fox just tossed her feelings aside like an unwanted garment. She decided to just bide her time.

(Fox)

'_Man, that moment when she jumped into my arms, that was so perfect'_ Fox's mind flitted back to the moment when he had saved Krystal from falling to her death after the gem in which she had been imprisoned shattered. Fox looked at the ground. _'I am so STUPID. It's only been a few days and I can't stop thinking about her' _

The vulpine was interrupted from his thoughts when he walked directly into Falco. "Hey McCloud, watch it!" Falco shouted. "Sorry Falco." Fox replied timidly as he continued to stare at the ground. "Hey, you ok? I'm not that mad." Falco said, seeing the look on his friend's face. "No, I'm fine." Fox said, standing upright. "Good. Hey, what's with letting Krystal stay all of a sudden? If I didn't know better, I'd say that…"

Here, Falco's face broke into a wide grin; he realized his friend's intentions. "Aww, that's so cute; little Fox has a crush." "What? Are you crazy? I barely even know her!" Fox shouted at the avian as he blushed hard under his fur. "Really? Why did you let her stay then, and why are you blushing?" Falco replied, seeing Fox's face tinted red, and turned away with a smirk.

Fox watched as the blue avian passed him and continued down the hall. _'He's right. No way around it, there's something about Krystal…'_ Fox let his thoughts wander as he continued down to the kitchen.

As Fox reached the kitchen, he took a look around and saw that there was plenty of food in storage for breakfast. Fox pulled a few things from the storage container and began to cook them.

After 20 minutes, five plates of fine-looking food sat on the table. After making sure everything was in order, Fox walked over to the microphone and turned it on. "Attention all crewmembers, breakfast is ready."

No sooner had Fox finished his statement that Slippy walked in and admired the food on the table. "Great, I'm starved." Slippy was about to start eating when Fox cut him off. "Not till everyone is here." He said. "Oh… fine." Slippy replied, tossing down his utensils.

A moment later, Falco walked in. "So, where's your girlfriend, Fox?" He asked in a tone that was obviously meant to embarrass Fox. "Shut it Falco." Fox said as he blushed hard and turned back to the stove. Falco smirked and sat down at the table next to Slippy.

Finally, Krystal arrived in the kitchen. "Peppy is still asleep." Krystal said. "Okay. We probably shouldn't wake him. He can get really cranky. Seriously, once, he attacked me with a plunger because he thought that I woke him up half an hour early." Fox replied. Krystal giggled as Fox recalled this hilarious incident.

Her laugh was musical, and Fox fell in love with it. He quickly tried to think of another funny circumstance, just to hear her laugh again. Before he could come up with anything, Falco silenced his thoughts. "C'mon, let's eat. I'm starvin' here. Save it for later, you two." The two foxes looked at each other for a brief moment. Then, they all sat down to breakfast.

All the crew enjoyed their breakfast. Falco and Slippy had finished their food within 5 minutes. Fox and Krystal, however, took their time and savored the food. During the meal, Krystal cast several surreptitious glances over to Fox. _'He's so handsome. Why can't I just tell him how I feel?' _

Once the team had finished their meal, the dumped their dishes in the dishwasher. Falco and Slippy left the kitchen, leaving Fox and Krystal alone. "Hey, do you wanna' go see the rest of the ship?" Fox asked. "Sure. I haven't been able to see all of it yet." Krystal eagerly replied. With that, they walked out of the kitchen.

"…and this is the game room." Fox said as he showed Krystal a large room with many large monitors and controllers. "Wow." Krystal remarked as she gazed around the room. "Would you like to try a game?" Fox asked Krystal. "Sure." Fox walked over to one of the games. There was a chair, with a control panel in front. Krystal could tell it was a piloting game. She sat in the chair and Fox stood beside her.

"In this game, the object is to destroy the enemy fighters and get to Andross, then beat him." Fox explained. Krystal started the game off doing pretty well. She managed to take down 7 fighters before getting hit once. The metre in the top-left corner inched down. Krystal continued through the stage. She did very well. She dodged enemy fire and downed the fighters with well placed lasers. Then, things got harder. They enemies' aim got better and their shields got stronger. Krystal barely managed to get by.

Finally, she entered a long tunnel. When she exited, she saw Andross' face and two floating hands. "Aim for the hands!" Fox instructed. Krystal started shooting and managed to do some damage. Then Andross started thrashing his hands. Krystal took a several hits and went down. The monitor displayed "Game Over!"

Krystal fell back in the chair and sighed. "That was tough, but fun." She said. "Yeah, it took me forever to beat that." Fox replied. "Didn't you beat Andross in real-life?" Krystal asked quizzically. "Yeah, but I got lucky." Fox replied. "Well, want to head down to the kitchen?" Fox asked Krystal. "Yeah, but just a small snack." Krystal replied. The two vulpine exited the game room and began down the hall.

"Fox, can I ask you something?" Krystal said. "Sure, what is it Krystal?" Fox said, turning to face his vixen companion. "Did you ever… have a girlfriend?" Krystal asked timidly. "Well, there was this one girl that I liked a long time ago. Her name was Fara Phoenix. But it's not like she was my girlfriend, but I think she really liked me." Fox explained. "Well, did you-"Krystal's question was cut short as the floor on which the two stood was shaken violently. The force of the shock threw Krystal onto Fox and they both fell on the floor.

"That was a laser, and a powerful one." Fox said as he rose and helped up Krystal. Another laser rocked the Great Fox, causing Krystal to give a yelp of surprise as she grabbed Fox and buried her head in his chest. Fox put his arms around her, trying to comfort her. It did the trick. _'Krystal must not have been in a situation like this before' _Fox thought.

"You two really picked the perfect moment, didn't you?" Falco commented as he ran past the two vulpines as he ran to the hangar. They separated, and ran down the hall after Falco.

When Fox had reached the hangar, Falco was already in his Arwing. The Great Fox rocked again as another laser struck it.

Fox clambered into his Arwing. "What should I do?" Krystal asked excitedly. "This Arwing only has one seat, so I can't take you with me. But there's a cannon at the bridge that you can use." Fox replied. "Okay. Be careful, Fox." Krystal said with worry in her voice. "I'll be fine." Fox replied with a cocky grin as the cockpit canopy closed.

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A/N: In the next chapter, I'll bring in a character that I think is needed. Just wait and see. My thanks to all of you who reviewed this fic.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

When Fox and Falco exited the hangar in their Arwings, they were met with a surprising site; the Great Fox was not the focus of the attack coming from the many fighters around the large ship, and the damage was from stray lasers striking the hull. They were attacking a different ship, namely, a pink Arwing that looked badly damaged. Before the two mercenaries had time to process the scene in front of them, the previously blank communications screen on their control panels buzzed to life, with a message from the fighter that was being attacked.

It showed a frantic-looking, pink feline. "Come in zzzz I'm being attacked zzzz Help! zzzz It's Katt!" Then, the screen went dead.

Falco gaped at what he had seen. "Katt, oh my God. Katt!" he screamed. Without another thought, he opened the boosters full out and sped off to the damaged Arwing. He instantly began to fire unmercifully on the fighters that were in close proximity to the pink ship.

After destroying the first few enemy fighters, Falco tried to contact Katt. "Katt, come in, it's Falco!" he said desperately into the microphone. "Falco?" The blank screen cracked to life again to see a very relieved Katt Monroe. "I'm so glad to see you!" she replied. "It's great to see you, too. But let's talk after we take out these losers." Falco said.

The three fighters began to take down the other attackers, which would have been simple except for the fact that there were about 20 remaining. This task was made easier however, when several energy bolts flew from the bridge of the Great Fox and downed some of the fighters. _Krystal's pretty good at this, _Fox thought as two more fighters swerved off course, hit by lasers fired by Krystal, and exploded.

Finally, there was only one fighter left. Fox fired his cannon and clipped its wing. It began a rapid downward spiral. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief since they could see that the battle was over.

Suddenly, the desperate pilot fired his cannon and the energy blast struck Katt's Arwing. While the shot was inaccurate and it grazed off, it had struck the cockpit. Falco's eyes widened with horror. "KATT!" He screamed. There was no response. Katt's Arwing started to descend rapidly towards the Great Fox. Falco had to act fast. Katt's only hope was to land in the hangar, but by the looks of it, she was going to crash under it.

Falco slid his Arwing under Katt's and tipped the nose up. There was a great clash of metal and the two ships locked together.

Falco's ship met Katt's and he tried to lift them both. It looked like it was working. Falco was headed straight for the hangar. But on approach, Falco could see that he was going to come up short. Again, the avian quickly thought of a plan. "Peppy" he shouted into his communicator, "roll the Great Fox 7 degrees to the left!"

Peppy did so just as Falco and Katt came clattering into the hangar at full speed. The Arwings scratched across the surface with a deafening screech. Eventually, they came to a stop in the far corner of the hangar.

Falco tried in vain to open the canopy, but after he failed once he simply kicked out the glass panel to his left. It shattered and the avian clambered out. He quickly climbed up to Katt's Arwing and forced the canopy. What he saw made him wince.

A long, wide spurt of blood ran from the left side Katt's forehead to her chin. Falco lifted her out of the totaled ship and held her in his arms. "Fal…co? Katt said weakly as she looked up toward him, barely holding on to consciousness. Falco's eyes began to fill with tears at the pathetic sight. "It's okay Katt, I'm here." Falco said, cradling her beaten body close to his chest. "C'mon, we gotta get you to the med centre." He said.

Falco raced down to the med centre with Katt in his arms. When he arrived, he gently laid Katt on one of the flat, chrome tables. Katt had long since passed out. Falco pulled a scanner over Katt and it analyzed her from head to foot twice. Falco walked over to a computer screen with the results: Katt had received a major concussion from the energy bolt. But aside from that, all she had were minor bruises and cuts. Falco was very distressed. He hated seeing Katt like this. He pulled a blanket over her when he saw that she was shivering, and then, he cleaned and bandaged the large gash on her head.

When the rest of the team arrived, Falco explained the results. "So, it's not life-threatening, but she'll take time to heal?" Slippy queried. Falco nodded. The others turned to leave. "I think I'll stay with her for a bit longer." Falco said as he pulled up one of the chairs and sat next to Katt. The others left.

Falco sat alone in the room with Katt. He looked at her, and thought again of how he had missed her for the last eight years. There was so much they needed to talk about.

The blue avian sat by Katt for a long time before his stomach let out an unearthly growl. Falco quickly realized that, in his haste to save his loved one, he had forgotten about lunch entirely, which the others had surely gone to get. Falco got up and walked over to the door. But before he left, he took another look at Katt. "Even knocked out, she's still beautiful." Falco said to himself, then left

Falco headed down to the kitchen, where the others were already starting their lunch. "Well, it's about time Falco." Fox said through a mouthful of food. "Well, it looks like she should be back up by tonight, tomorrow at the latest. We can use that accelerated healing shot to get her back up faster." Falco said.

He was referring to a recent development by the leading doctors in Corneria. It was a serum that rapidly accelerated the body's natural healing process.

(A/N: Sorry for interrupting. Yeah, hi, it's me, the author. This is for your benefit: this serum stuff is referred to later in the story, and then again much later on. Just letting you know, so you're not lost. Okay, back to the story.)

"Good plan." Fox replied, gulping down some of his lunch. Falco grabbed a plate and some food, and headed for the door. "Hey, where ya goin'" Fox asked. "I'm going back to the med lab to give Katt the shot." Falco asked. "Now, don't you want any lunch?" Slippy asked. "I got a few things." Falco said, and with that, he left.

"Why is Falco so eager to spend time with that pink feline?" Krystal asked; she had never had the situation explained to her. "Well, that pink feline, Katt, is Falco's former girlfriend. While Falco said they broke up, I think he still loves her." Fox said. "Oh" Krystal replied. "Falco hasn't seen her for eight years and when she got hurt, Falco freaked." Fox explained. Krystal nodded and returned to her lunch.

(Falco)

Falco had reached the med centre, and Katt was still lying on the chrome operating table. _She should be in a bed, _Falco thought. He lifted Katt off the table and put her in a bed. After making sure she had a warm blanket and was comfortable, Falco primed the injection needle.

Falco injected the serum. After he removed the needle, he bandaged the small cut that the syringe had made. He then sat down in a chair next to Katt.

(A few hours later)

Katt awoke with a slight pain in her head. She sat up and put her paw to her forehead. She looked around and saw that she was in the med centre of the Great Fox. Upon further investigation, she saw Falco, asleep in a chair. She smiled, leaned over and shook him lightly.

Falco groaned, and then opened his eyes and saw Katt, awake. "Katt!" Falco shouted with joy as he embraced Katt. "I was so worried!" Falco said with teary eyes. "I'm okay, Falco. But, why am I here? I can't remember anything." Katt said, surprised by his sudden show of affection. "You were attacked. We don't know who attacked you, yet. During the fight, you got hit in the head and suffered a major concussion. I injected you with a special serum, and you got better fast." Falco explained.

Falco and Katt then began a long conversation about what the other had done during the eight years they had been separated. Falco had wandered around the galaxy, doing whatever solo missions he could find. Eventually, he got wind that the Star Fox team had been given a mission on the remote world of Sauria, so he went to check things out. He explained how he had saved Fox from Andross and rejoined the team. Katt had been doing much the same thing, drifting, doing whatever she could to make some extra cash.

This pleasant conversation was broken by the entrance of Fox McCloud.

"We contacted Pepper and told him about the situation, and he wants to speak with us at Corneria. We'll be there in two days." Fox said, and then left. "Good, that'll give us some free time." Falco said, leaning back in his chair. "Okay. Well, I'm kinda hungry." Katt got up to head to the kitchen, but fell. Falco caught her. "You might want to stay in bed for the rest of the day. That serum is some pretty strong stuff." Falco said as he helped her back into bed. "I'll get you some food." With that, Falco left and Katt fell asleep.

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A/N: That was kind of a crappy chapter, don't worry, the story gets better, I think. Yes, everyone's favorite pink feline is back, thought not in good health. Future note: I plan on having Falco/Katt romance developments in the future. Just letting you know.


	4. Chapter 4

(A/N: Again, I am very sorry for the poor quality of the last chapter. This one is long just because I want to get the boring stuff out of the way.)

Chapter 4

"Well Falco, what kept you? Hope you didn't get carried away while you were down there." Fox said as he passed Fox going out of the kitchen. "Can it McCloud." Falco replied irritably. Falco repeated what he had done at lunch; he grabbed a plate, some food, and returned to the med centre, only this time, the food was for Katt, not himself. He returned to the med centre and walked in.

When he opened the door, he was met with a shock; a tall figure, clad in black, was pointing a blaster straight at Katt, who was still asleep. Falco dropped the plate and charged at the cloaked figure. The assassin, at least that's what Falco assumed he was, turned his blaster away from the sleeping Katt to Falco, and fired. Fortunately, his aim was inaccurate and the shot only grazed Falco's right shoulder. Falco felt the pain, but ignored it. He hit the assassin with his full force, knocking him to the ground, and the blaster clattered to the floor.

Katt awoke in a shock at the sound of the blaster fire, just in time to see the blue avian smash into a mysterious black figure.

Falco and the assassin started wrestling on the floor like a pair of wildcats. Falco managed to get on top of the assassin and started punching him violently. He then proceeded to pick up the assassin and throw him into the wall. The cloaked figure smashed into the wall with a loud thud, and fell to the ground. This gave Falco a much needed breather.

After a moment's reprieve, the assassin got up. Falco saw that he his arm was broken, and he probably had other injuries. He pulled a small bomb out of his cloak. Falco's eyes widened. He ran over to Katt and shielded her with his body, just in time for the bomb to explode.

The assassin was killed instantly. The force of the blast tore his arm from his body, and ripped him to shreds. Falco had his back to the bomb. The explosion had scorched the back of his shirt and burned his back badly. But he achieved his goal; Katt was unharmed. Seeing this, Falco gave a sigh of relief, then fell onto the bed and lay completely motionless.

Katt sat in horror as she saw the injuries Falco had sustained. She pulled the limp Falco closer to her. "Falco? Are you okay? Wake up!" She cried. She held the limp body of Falco in her arms, sobbing uncontrollably.

Just then, the rest of the team arrived. "What the hell happened here?" Peppy demanded as he walked into the med centre. He and the others had heard the explosion. "Someone tried to kill me, and Falco stopped him. They got into a fight and Falco threw him into the wall. Then the other guy pulled out a bomb and tried to kill us. Falco protected me with his body, and he's hurt real bad!" Katt said through her tears.

As Katt finished her explanation, Fox pulled the body of his friend off the bed and onto the same chrome operating table Katt had been on earlier. Falco was laid on his stomach as Fox began to patch him up.

(After the operation)

Falco awoke in a bed with Katt standing over him. "Oy, how long have I been out?" "It's been about an hour since you saved me from the bomb. Thanks." Katt replied, blushing. A moment of silence passed. "Falco, why did you protect me from that bomb? You could have died." Katt asked.

"Well… I did it because," Falco replied uneasily, "I did it because you're my friend." Falco lied. He saved her because he loved her, because she meant more than to him than anything. "Oh" Katt replied, sounding disappointed.

'_That's it? He saved me because I'm his friend? He risked his life for me just because we're FRIENDS? _ Katt thought. "Well, do you need anything?" Katt asked. "No, I'm good. Looks like you're as good as new as well." Falco said, observing the fact that Katt was no longer bedridden. "Well, then I think I'll head down to the bridge for a moment." Katt said as she turned and exited the med centre.

'_Damn it Falco, you're an idiot!' _Falco thought to himself after Katt had left. _'Why can't I just tell her I love her? That was the stupidest I've ever sounded in my life! I've missed her for so freakin' long, and now I blow the perfect chance to tell her about my feelings' _Falco sank back into his bed and continued to think about his next move.

(On the Bridge of the Great Fox)

Katt entered the bridge to find the members of Star Fox working on different tasks. She walked over to Fox, who was sitting in the large chair in the centre of the bridge, typing on a laptop. "Hey, Fox" Katt said. "Yeah Katt?" Fox replied, turning away from his laptop. "Does Falco still love me?" Katt asked bluntly.

Fox was taken aback for a brief second by her question.

The answer was obvious. "Of course he does, Katt. He's nuts about you. Didn't you see him during the battle? Oh wait, you were out cold. Anyway, your ship was going down, and you were about to crash into the Great Fox. Well, Falco pulled this insane move in his Arwing; he pulled his ship under yours and lifted it up. After Peppy turned the Great Fox, he slid into the hangar with your ship on top of his, kicked out the glass, picked you out of the cockpit, and raced to the med centre. After all that, I can tell he really loves you. Why?" Fox replied. "Oh, no reason." Katt said. Fox eyed hear curiously as she departed.

Katt entered the med centre to see Falco staring at the ceiling, deep in thought. He broke from his thoughts to see Katt entering and smiled. Katt walked over and sat on one side of the bed and looked at Falco.

"Falco, I want to ask you something, and no matter what, I want you to answer truthfully." Katt said in a serious tone. "Sure Katt, what is it?" Falco replied. "Falco, do you still love me? Fox told me what you did after I was hit by the force bolt, and I want to know _for real _why you did that." Katt asked, looking intently at the blue avian in the bed.

Falco sat up and looked straight back. "Katt, I know that we went through a nasty breakup, and I was a real jerk to you, but I realized afterward that you are the most important person in my life, and I love you. I know you probably hate me, but I'm sorry." Falco said. Katt's eyes were watering, but with tears of joy. "Falco, I love you. Sure, you did make me angry, but that's in the past." Falco looked at her with surprise in his eyes.

"Let's just forget it happened." She said. As Katt finished saying this, she embraced Falco and kissed him. Falco returned the kiss and wrapped his wings around the pink feline. Falco lay back onto the bed, with Katt on top of him. Both the avian and the feline enjoyed the moment of passion, their first in eight years.

(Meanwhile, on the bridge of the Great Fox)

"Where are Katt and Falco? They've been gone for a long time." Krystal asked in a slightly concerned town of voice. "I think that they're fine." Fox replied. After Katt had left, Fox had quickly realized why she asked him the question that she did. Katt still loved Falco, but she didn't know if he felt the same way.

Fox looked over at the clock. It read 6:30 PM. "Well, anyone want dinner?" Fox asked his crew. "I thought you'd never ask." Slippy said as he eagerly turned away from the control panel on which he was working. "Well then let's go to the kitchen." Fox replied.

Fox made a large dinner for everyone. "ROB, take two plates to the med centre." "Roger" ROB replied in his monotone voice.

A moment, later ROB returned, "Task Compromised. The med centre door is locked and Star Fox Member Falco Lombardi and Guest Katt Monroe are-"Fox cut him off. "We don't need to hear the rest, ROB. Thanks." Krystal giggled after hearing ROB's response. "Looks like Falco missed Katt more than we thought." Peppy muttered to himself.

The meal passed without much conversation. Afterwards, the team disposed of their dishes and relaxed around the Great Fox.

At about 10:00 PM, Krystal approached Fox. "Fox I'm tired and I think I'll go to bed." "Okay Krystal, good night." Fox replied, smiling at her. "Um, Fox, I don't remember the way back to my room. Can you show me the way?" Krystal asked, a little embarrassed. "Sure Krystal." Fox replied eagerly. Fox got up from his chair and walked out the door, with Krystal close at his heels.

Fox lead Krystal through the halls of the Great Fox, until finally; he reached the room that was Krystal's. When Fox opened the door, he saw that ROB had only succeeded in removing the thick layer of dust that coated the floor and bed. The bed was worn and threadbare; not nearly good enough for Krystal to sleep in. "Well, looks like ROB didn't finish the cleaning. Here, you can have my bed and I'll take the couch." Fox said to Krystal. "Well, if you really don't mind." Krystal replied.

(About 10 minutes after Fox and Krystal retired for the night)

Krystal found Fox's bed to seem quite comfortable. It was soft, but not to soft. And yet, Krystal could not get to sleep. She rolled over and looked at Fox, who was sleeping on the couch in his room, his legs propped up on the armrest. Krystal smiled upon seeing him in such a peaceful state. It helped to relax her and she fell asleep herself.

(In the middle of the night)

Fox was awoken by a loud groan and then a whimper. He got up to see what was happening, and he saw that Krystal was still asleep, but she was sweating and she looked uncomfortable. _'She's having a nightmare' _Fox thought. He walked over to Krystal's sleeping form.

(Meanwhile, in the messed up nightmare that Krystal was having)

Krystal was walking along a cliff side. It was a beautiful place. The cliff gave away to a large and open sea. The land expanded in rolling hills, abundant in wildflowers. She saw Fox standing on the cliff and ran over to him. She embraced him and kissed him "Fox, I love you." She told him. Fox returned her embrace, kissed her and said "I love you, too".

Then, without any warning, he gave a grunt and fell dead. Krystal bent down to him, sobbing and trying to revive him. A sinister voice called out to her. "Silly little girl! This is what will happen to Fox. He will die, and there is nothing you can do to save him." Krystal looked up at who was speaking, and screamed.

She sat bolt upright, panting hard. She looked around frantically for Fox. He was sitting on the side of her bed, a surprised look on her face. She grabbed him, put her head into his chest, and cried. Fox was a little surprised by her sudden action, but began to softly stroke her hair with one paw and put his other arm around her, seeing her distraught situation. They sat like that for a few moments.

After Krystal's sobs had subsided, Fox asked her what the problem was. "I had a nightmare that really scared me. I don't want to talk about it." Krystal replied. "Okay. Well, I'm going to go back to sleep." Fox got up to walk away. "Wait, Fox." Krystal called. "Yeah, what is it?" Fox replied, still concerned. "Could you stay with me for a little while? The nightmare really frightened me." Krystal replied. "Uh, sure." Fox replied uneasily.

He lay down beside her and stared at the ceiling. For a moment, nothing happened. Suddenly, he felt warmth down on his chest. He looked over and saw that Krystal had curled up next to him, her head on his chest and her arms around him. She had a smile on her face. Fox felt a little uneasy about the whole thing, but fell asleep soon after.

(Early the next morning)

Krystal awoke the next morning to find herself in bed with Fox. She sat up and looked down at him and smiled. Right then, Fox awoke. He saw Krystal smiling down at him and gave her a quizzical look. Krystal turned away, blushing, but still smiling.

"So, besides your episode last night, how do you feel?" Fox asked Krystal. "Just fine Fox. How about you?" Krystal replied. "I'm doing well." Fox said. He got up and walked over to the door, going to the washroom in his room. "Fox?" Krystal said. "Yes, what is it?" Fox answered. "Thanks." "No problem." Fox smiled at her and exited the room.

The Star Fox team spent the day lounging around, doing whatever suited their fancy. Slippy made whatever modifications he could think of on ROB, the Arwings, and the Great Fox. Peppy was working on a full map of Dinosaur Planet. Falco and Katt were only seen at breakfast, and they spent the rest of the day together, doing God knows what. Krystal spent her time in the game room, fascinated by everything. Only Fox was troubled. He was in his room, thinking.

_This isn't right,_ he thought to himself. _Krystal's the most caring, kind-hearted, good-natured fox I've ever met, whereas I'm a mercenary. I blow things up for money. I don't have any ethics whatsoever. She deserves someone better than me. _Fox thought. He wanted to be with her, but he thought it wouldn't work. She was too perfect.

_She deserves the best there is, which is definitely not me. Besides, what if I got killed on a mission, and she spent the rest of her life mourning over me? _It was painful for Fox to admit, but it was true; they could never be together. But still, being with Krystal felt so… right. It was like, from the moment he saw her, something clicked and being with her made him happy.

Fox couldn't decide which part of him was right. He wanted Krystal, but he didn't think that it would work. He was so deep in thought that he jumped when he heard a knock on the door. He got up and walked over to answer.

(Krystal)

'_Well, I suppose that if I ever want a chance to be with Fox, then I better be on the team. But what have I got to offer? I'm not a great pilot, and I'm can't use weapons well. But I supposed I could-' _Krystal didn't get a chance to finish her mental sentence as Fox answered the door. Fox's face lit up as soon as he saw who it was.

"Hey Krystal! What's up?" he greeted her. Krystal blushed slightly at his glee at seeing her. "Hi Fox. I was wondering, could I talk to you?" she asked. "Sure, Krystal, what do you want to talk about?" Fox responded. "I… was wondering… if I could… join the team?" she asked hesitantly.

Fox was stunned, but broke from his trance to answer, and answer he did. "KrystalIwouldloveforyoutojointheteam!" Krystal had to stifle a giggle, amused by his quick response. "Thank you so much!" she said. Without thinking, she threw her arms around Fox's neck and pulled him close. Fox's muscles stiffened as Krystal embraced him. Krystal got up and walked over to the door. She turned her head and smiled at Fox, winked, and left.

Fox collapsed back onto his bed, smiling.

(A random hall of the Great Fox)

'_This is so perfect! I can't believe that Krystal actually WANTS to join my team!' _Fox's face showed pure joy. The vixen that he had feelings for, even if he had not completely admitted them outright, was staying on his ship.

He walked down the hall and passed Falco, who quickly noticed his expression. "Hey buddy. Something good happen?" Falco asked. "Yeah, Krystal wants to join the team." Fox replied. "Really, so I guess you want her to join?" Falco asked as he crossed his arms. "Hell yeah, I want her to join!" Fox eagerly replied. "And why is that, exactly?" Fox knew what Falco was getting at. "Because she'd be a great asset to the team." Fox replied coolly.

"Is that all?" Falco said. "I was expecting something a bit more… significant." Falco replied with a smirk. "She'd be great to have on the team, that's it!" Fox answered in a huff. "Well, if you say so." Falco said sarcastically and walked off.

Fox's good mood returned as he saw Peppy and Slippy working on one of the Arwings. Peppy was under it and Slippy was in the cockpit. "Okay Slippy, let's try this again." Fox heard Peppy say in a tired and frustrated tone of voice. "Okay" Slippy replied. Peppy started a countdown. "5…4….3…2… OW!" Peppy's countdown was interrupted as a shock of blue electricity coursed through his body. "Damn it Slippy, can't you count!" Peppy shouted. "Sorry, I guess I'm a little excited to try this upgrade." Slippy replied. "That's the third time you've done that!" Peppy shot back, still annoyed.

Fox chuckled at the antic unfolding in front of him. "Oh, hi Fox!" Slippy shouted when he saw Fox standing there. "Peppy and me were just-" Peppy cut Slippy off "This green idiot is trying to KILL ME!" Peppy hollered as he pulled himself out from under the Arwing.

"Well, I'll let you get back to that in a second. Anyway, something great happened; Krystal can join the team!" Fox said. "Really? That's great! She's real nice." Slippy replied, obviously sharing Fox's enthusiasm. "Well, she is talented. Maybe she could be of use." Peppy said, seeming not as excited. "Great, it's settled then. I've already talked to Falco and he seemed fine with the idea." Fox said. "You're the leader, and if you say she can stay, she stays." Peppy replied, seeming resigned to the fact that Krystal was staying, no matter what he said.

The remainder of the day passed without much activity.

Krystal was walking on a familiar cliff. She knew that she had been her before, but she couldn't remember exactly what had happened last time she was here. Then, she saw Fox. She ran up to him and threw her arms around him. "I love you." She said to him.

Unlike the last nightmare Krystal had in this setting, Fox remained motionless. "Fox, what's wrong? Are you okay?" Krystal asked, clearly concerned. "Krystal, I am fine. I don't love you." Fox replied coldly. His response hit Krystal like a slap in the face. Fox suddenly pulled back from Krystal and ran behind her.

Krystal turned around to see Fox run towards a fennec. Fox ran up and embraced her. He lifted her off her feet and spun her around, still holding her. He sat her down and began to kiss her. The fennec returned the favor and put her arms around Fox's neck. Fox put his arms around her back.

Krystal fell to her knees, crying. "Her name is Fara Phoenix." A voice said from behind her. Krystal turned to see a figure, clad in a grey cloak. She couldn't see his face. She was the one she had seen last time she was here. "As you can see, Fox loves her. As he told you, he doesn't care about your feelings. So just give up and let him live his life." The stranger said. "Shut UP!" Krystal yelled back through her sobs. "Denial will do you no good. One day, he will betray you. He will leave you when you need him most. Then, he will die." As the figure said this, he pointed a finger at Fox.

Krystal turned around to see what events were to unfold. Fox dropped dead. Fara knelt down beside him and tried to wake him up. She, too, was crying.

Krystal turned her attention back to the one who had killed Fox. His eyes were still focused on the limp body of the dead vulpine. Krystal took the opportunity and jumped him. He side stepped out of the way and she tumbled beside him. She looked back up at him, her eyes welling up in tears again. This time, Krystal could see behind him saw another figure, this one clad in a long black cloak. From the looks of things, he was controlling the person in front of her. He gave a long, maniacal, laugh, and Krystal's vision went dark.

Krystal opened her eyes and saw that she was still in her room. This was indeed her room, not Fox's. Her room had been cleaned by ROB the previous day. She got out of her bed and ran to the door. She had on a pink nightgown. She left her room and ran down the hall until she reached Fox's room. She walked through the door.

Fox was sleeping peacefully on his bed. Krystal breathed a sigh of relief. She walked over to him until she was right by him and gently stroked the fur on his cheek with her paw. Fox smiled and shifted slightly. Then, still asleep, he suddenly grabbed Krystal's paw with both of his and held it tight against the side of his face.

Krystal was caught off guard by his sudden action. _Oh no! What if he wakes up! What will he think if he finds me in his room? _Krystal had to think fast. Then, a thought struck her. She smiled at her idea. She lifted the covers and climbed into Fox's bed. _Well, if he freaks, which he will, I'll tell him that I had that nightmare again and that I was real scared. He's an understanding fox. He'll probably think of me as pretty pathetic, but that doesn't matter. _She curled up with her back to Fox and her head underneath his chin. In this new, comfortable sleeping position, she quickly fell asleep.

(Some time in the middle of the night)

Fox woke up in the middle of the night. He felt too warm. He looked down and nearly choked with surprise. _What the hell is Krystal doing in my bed? Oh man! What am I supposed to do?_ Fox's panic quickly turned to a sense of comfort. _Well, maybe she had another nightmare. Whatever happened, she seems fine now. _Fox looked down at his bedmate to see her smiling.

Krystal started to shift so that she was facing Fox, although her eyes were still closed. She put her paws on his chest. Fox put his arms around Krystal. _Well, this is pretty cool._ Fox soon drifted of to sleep.

(Early the following morning)

Fox and Krystal awoke almost simultaneously as a result Fox waking up and moving his arms to stretch. Krystal must have noticed immediately, because she rose just afterwards. Fox decided that now was as good a time as ever why she had decided to come into his bed.

"Krystal, why did you sleep in my bed last night?" Fox asked. Krystal blushed. "I'm sorry Fox. I had a similar nightmare to the one I had two nights ago, but this time it was much worse." Krystal answered. "Would you like to talk about it? We arrive at Corneria today, so this might be the last quiet time we get for a while." Fox asked. "Okay. Well, I'm walking along the side of a cliff. I see you and run up to talk to you. You walk away from me and over to this fennec. You embrace her and kiss her. Then this guy tells me that there will come a time when you will betray me, and then you die. That's basically it." Krystal answered.

She decided to leave out the part about confessing her love for Fox, fearing an unwanted reaction. "Why does this scare you so much?" Fox asked, obviously worried about her. "I don' know. Maybe it's that I've never seen anyone die in front of me like you do in my nightmare, and since you're a good friend, I just freak." Krystal answered.

Fox sat in silence for a moment, contemplating what Krystal had said. Krystal spoke again. "The name of the fennec was Fara Phoenix. I believe you mentioned her earlier?" Krystal said. "Yeah." Fox sighed. "I haven't seen her in eight years." Fox said. Krystal spoke again, trying to sound unemotional. "Fox, do you still love her?" Fox was greatly surprised by her question. "Well, I don't know." Fox replied.

ROB's monotone voice ended the conversation. "Attention all crewmembers: Great Fox will dock in Main Cornerian Bay 1 in 30 minutes. All crew report to the bridge for standard docking procedures."

"You'd better get changed." Fox said, noting that Krystal was only in her nightgown. Once she had left the room, Fox let out a sigh and allowed his mind to wander. He thought about last night, when he saw Krystal with him. _Why does she keep doing this? Does she really feel something for me? This is wrong. She deserves someone younger and better than me._

"Let's get going." Fox said in a cheerful voice, trying to mask his previous thoughts, as he rose from the bed and walked to the door. Krystal soon followed.

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(A/N: Sorry for the uncharacteristically long chapter, but I decided I needed to get the slow stuff over with. This is where things start to pick up. (YAY!) Now, flame this chapter all you want, but the next ones, at least in my opinion, are better.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Krystal and Fox walked in silence down the hall to the bridge. They walked through the door to find the rest of Star Fox already in position for docking. Fox took a seat in his large chair in the centre for the bridge while Krystal sat next to a series of control panels.

The hologram of a black bear in an air force uniform appeared. "You have entered into Cornerian airspace. Please state your business." He asked in a professional tone. "I'm requesting permission to land in Hangar 1." Fox answered. "Please give the name of your ship and transmit access code." The bear said. "My ship is the Great Fox. Transmitting code now." Fox quickly typed a series of numbers and letters. "Access granted. Your ship is clear for docking. Thank you." With this, the bear's image quickly disappeared.

Fox guided the ship carefully into the large hangar and turned off the engines. "Well, here we are, Corneria." Fox said. Everyone got up and walked to the door. Fox waited for everyone to leave. Krystal was last out the door. She had her head hung low. "Hey, what's wrong?" Fox asked. "Nothing, I was just thinking about the nightmare." Krystal replied. Fox put took her paws in his. "It was just a nightmare. I wouldn't betray you or anyone on this team." Fox tried to sound reassuring. Krystal just nodded. _I had nightmares like this many years ago, just before my planet was destroyed. It was like my dreams told the future._ Krystal thought.

The team left the Great Fox in the hands of ROB, and headed to the Cornerian Army Base. Fox hailed a taxi and the team went to the base. The Cornerian Army Base, abbreviated C.A.B., was composed mainly of a large, cylindrical building in the centre of the complex and three buildings shaped like walls that wrapped around the main building. Each one had several letters on the top level that denoted its function. The titles were: 'Weapons Development', 'Military Planning' and 'Communications'.

Fox and his team walked to the centre building. The lobby was a wide room that covered the whole floor. In the middle was a kiosk, at which sat four receptionists. Fox walked up to the one nearest them. It was a female dog in her mid-thirties. "Excuse me; General Pepper is expecting us for a meeting. Could you notify him of our arrival?" Fox asked. "Surely." The dog replied, without turning away from her work. "Top floor, room 881." "Thank you." Fox said.

They proceeded to an elevator on the far side of the room. After they had all gotten in, Fox punched the button for the top floor and the elevator shot up. Krystal, having no experience with elevators whatsoever, was fairly surprised by the sudden motion. She gave a quick yelp and grabbed the nearest thing, which happened to be Fox's arm, to keep herself from falling.

Fox was caught off-guard and almost fell down himself. He helped Krystal up. A voice whispered in his ear. "Smooth." Fox looked over to see Falco smirking as Krystal steadied herself. "Sorry." Krystal said, blushing slightly. She looked out the window and saw the city fall away below her. It was an amazing sight.

The elevator came to a gentle stop at the top floor. The team exited the elevator and walked down the hall. Krystal would have been quite lost without Fox. Fox stopped in front of a door that was considerably larger than the others. Fox knocked. "Enter!" came a loud voice from within the room. Fox opened the door and walked in. The rest of the team followed.

General Pepper sat at a long, marble desk with papers and other varies odds and ends stacked neatly in piles. The general himself had a grim expression on his face. "Sit down." He said. The team members seated themselves in the many different chairs that lay around Pepper's office.

After they were all seated, the general started speaking. "First, congratulations on your most recent success. Dinosaur Planet is now safe. But unfortunately, we have another, much bigger problem; a civil war has erupted on the planet Iris between the legitimate government that we here in Corneria recently established, and a rebel group known as Black Snake. Black Snake is a fairly large organization made up primarily of out-of-work mercenaries and discharged soldiers from different parts of the galaxy. Its leader, his name is unknown, is rumored to have relations to the Cornerian Army. We don't know the full extent of Black Snake's influence, but this if the first time that they have started open war. Your mission is to end the conflict and, if possible, find the leader of Black Snake."

"What about those guys that attacked Katt?" Falco piped up. "Those were most likely thugs from Black Snake. They probably knew that I would contact all of you and wanted to kill you." Pepper replied.

A few seconds of silence passed, before Pepper spoke again. "Planet Iris is quite far from Corneria. In order to get there, your ship will need to be upgraded with a portable warp gate. In addition, my mechanics are installing some new external weapons to the Great Fox. All the repairs will be done in two days. Then, you will be ready to start. A hotel is waiting a few blocks from this base." Pepper stated. "Thanks. Contact us if anything comes up." Fox said. The team then left Pepper's office and exited the lobby.

They were mobbed by reporters.

"Not _again!_" Falco exclaimed with extreme irritation. Fox, Falco, and the rest of the team tried to push their way past the reporters, but to no avail.

They asked all manner of questions, and seeing as they had no other option, Fox decided to answer a few of the questions: "Mr. McCloud, are you on a new mission?" "Yes"

"Where are you headed next?" "Can't say." He responded, knowing that the General had installed that cliché policy of "If I told you, I'd have to kill you." Fox thought about shooting all the reporters, something he was often tempted to do.

"Falco, have you and Katt really gotten back together?" (This time, it was Falco who answered) "Yes, we have."

"Fox, is it true that you and Krystal have a romantic relationship?"

Fox froze and turned to the reporter who had asked the question. "Well, um, no. There is nothing between us whatsoever. We're just friends and teammates." Fox replied. This time, it was Krystal who stopped dead in her tracks. Fox had just admitted that he felt no love for her, and that there really was nothing between them more than a simple friendship. She tried to shake it off and keep walking, but it was hard.

After several minutes of pushing and shoving, the Star Fox team managed to get the hotel and settled into their rooms. The team took up much of the hall. Each room had one bed. Falco and Katt shared a room at the end, then Slippy, next Peppy, followed by Krystal and finally Fox.

Falco and Katt had decided to go to a movie. Peppy was asleep, and Slippy was tinkering. Fox and Krystal were both contemplating what Fox had said during the questions. _Maybe he only said that because he didn't want to embarrass himself or me. But maybe he doesn't care for me. He did say that he had a girl that he liked. Maybe he still loves her… _Krystal continued to ponder Fox's answer.

Meanwhile, Fox was mentally beating himself up over what he had said. _Well, if I said there was something more than friendship between us, they might have asked more questions. Besides, it would only embarrass us, and I don't know if she really loves me. It looks like it, and I want her to love me, but I can't be sure. _Fox thought.

The team decided to stay at the hotel for dinner, then fell asleep.

(Krystal's nightmare, _AGAIN!_)

Krystal was walking along a familiar cliff side. She saw a familiar vulpine. She ran up and threw her arms around him, nearly tackling him. "I love you, Fox. Do you love me in return?" Krystal asked. "NO KRYSTAL! LEAVE ME ALONE!" Fox shouted at the top of his lungs. It scared Krystal so much that she jumped back. He walked by her and ran up to the fennec she knew as Fara. Like the last dream, he hugged and kissed her.

"You see, he has already denied any love for you. Soon he will abandon you completely. Then, he will die." Said the same voice she had heard the last two nights. Fox dropped dead. Krystal awoke to the familiar heat and panic she felt the last two times she had had this nightmare. At first, she felt the urge to find Fox and be with him. But then she thought about her nightmare. _I need to tell Fox how I feel. Maybe he really does love me. _Krystal sat in her bed until sunrise, several hours later.

The team met in the hallway to decide the plan for the day. "I need to get a few things, but other than that, I think we can just chill until Pepper says the upgrades are completed. So, enjoy yourselves. I'll be back in an hour or two. Oh, Krystal, I almost forgot, you need a new outfit. There are some spares in your closet." Fox said. He descended in the elevator to the bottom floor and exited the hotel. This time, he was not mobbed by reporters.

Fox hailed a cab and went over to the weapons development portion of the Cornerian Army Base. _If were going into a full-scale war, then we're gonna need some better weapons. _Fox thought to himself. He entered the building and looked around. There were all manner of weapons around him. He started to browse the selection.

Fox ended up purchasing a standard automatic assault rifle for each member of the team, 2 rocket launchers, 2 light machine guns, a heavy laser cannon, a sniper rifle, several grenades, a hand held, anti-air, laser-guided missile launcher and enough explosives to level a city.

"Damn, Fox, this is a lot of firepower!" A familiar voice sounded from behind him. He turned to see who it was. "Fara!" Fox shouted with joy. He embraced the fennec that he had not seen in years. "What are you doing? It's great to see you?" Fox asked, still excited. "I was just browsing. I just wanted to see what these guys had developed." She replied. "I heard you accepted a new mission. What's it about?" Fara asked. "There's a civil war on some godforsaken planet and Pepper wants us to resolve it." Fox replied.

Fox and Fara started talking about their experiences since their last meeting. Then, Fox made an offer. "Hey Fara, do you want to come to dinner with me and the rest of the team?" Fox asked. "Sure Fox. Where do you want to go?" Fara replied. "I know a place near where the Great Fox is docked. We could go there." Fox answered. "Great. What time is good for you? 6:00?" Fara said. "Six is good." Fox said. "See ya then!" Fox said as he departed with his new weaponry.

(Krystal)

Krystal was searching through her closet till she found some clothes she liked. She had found a pair of short jeans, that came down to her knees, a midriff exposing top and a grey vest, similar to Fox's. _'Well, I guess this will work' _she thought to herself, and left for the bridge.

A/N: the name 'Avaya Grill' was inspired by a banner that said 'Avaya' that I saw while watching the Fifa World Cup Match: U.S.A vs. the Czech Republic. Whatever 'Avaya' is, I don't own it.

(Back at the Great Fox)

"Hey, I met up with Fara at the weapons facility and invited her to dinner. We need to be there at 6:00." Fox addressed his crew. Krystal's ears perked up and looked over at Fox as he spoke. She thought about the dream that she had had the last three nights. _I need to tell him how I feel before I lose him _Krystal thought.

Fox looked over at her and noticed her in her new outfit. _'Damn, nice outfit!' _Fox thought to himself. He couldn't help but stare for a moment. Krystal gave him a quizzical look and he turned away, embarrassed at being caught staring.

After Fox's announcement, everyone went back to the work they were doing, except Katt and Krystal. Katt followed Fox down the hall. Krystal sat in a chair, wondering if Fox was still in love with Fara and only brought the team along to be polite.

Fox was walking away from the bridge, humming an upbeat tune to himself. He felt a paw on his shoulder that pulled him back and shoved him into the wall. "What the hell was that?" the pink feline shouted at him. Fox just stood in utter disbelief. "What are you talking about?" Fox asked. "I'm talking about you taking us to dinner with Fara. In case you haven't noticed, Krystal didn't respond well to your 'notification'. That tells me something: Krystal really likes you." Katt said.

"Are you drunk? What have I done for her?" Fox asked, hoping that Katt was right and the Krystal really did love him. "Let's think: you saved her life on Dinosaur Planet, you let her stay on the Great Fox, and then you let her join the Star Fox team without so much as an entry exam!" Katt shouted. "What's your point?" Fox asked. "All I'm saying is that you need to be aware of what Krystal is feeling." Katt said, and walked off.

Fox stood alone in the hallway for a moment, thinking. Then, he started down the hallway, contemplating what Katt had said.

(Avaya Grill, 6:00 PM)

The members of Star Fox stood outside of the Avaya Grill, waiting for Fara Phoenix. They were all wearing the same things they normally wore. Falco and Katt were talking. Slippy and Peppy were involved in a friendly argument about sports teams. Fox and Krystal, however, were silent.

A moment later, a black car pulled up and Fara Phoenix stepped out. She walked over the band of mercenaries, and greeted them warmly. When she saw Krystal, she stopped. "So this is the famous Krystal? I've heard a great deal about you." Fara said, eyeing Krystal. "Well, shall we?" Fara asked, returning to her previous good mood. All seven animals then entered the Avaya Grill.

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(A/N: Unfortunately, my school starts soon, and that means that I won't be able to update as often. I'm very sorry. There might be a period of two or more weeks during which I never update, and I really regret that. However, I have every intention of completing this fanfic. One other thing: I have 452 hits registered for this story, and yet only 10 reviews from 4 different people. I would really like anyone reading to review this with their opinion.

Simba out)


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

The Avaya Grill was a good place to eat at. The food was excellent and the people working there were very friendly. Everyone enjoyed themselves, except for Krystal. She was deep in thought. She wondered about when she was going to tell Fox her feelings for him. _Once we get back to the Great Fox, then I'll tell him_ Krystal planned.

The seven animals sat at a long table near a window. Falco was sitting at one corner next to Katt, then Slippy and Peppy on one side. On the other side were Fara, then Fox in the middle, then Krystal. They were all talking happily, except for Krystal. Fox noticed this. "Hey, Krystal? You okay?" Fox asked and gently put his paw on her shoulder. "Actually Fox, can I talk to you when we get back to the Great Fox?" Krystal asked. "Of course." Fox replied. Just then, the waiter came to take their orders.

Krystal wanted to be alone for a few minutes, so she excused herself and asked where the washroom was. Fox explained that it was outside the building itself, out the back door to the right. She walked outside and found the washrooms.

While washing her hands, she ran over what she would tell Fox when they returned to the ship. She finished and walked over to the door. When she opened it, she saw a tiger leaned up against the door that lead back to the restaurant. He was wearing a pair of dark jeans and had on a black leather jacket. He had an evil smile on his face.

"Excuse me, I need to get inside." Krystal said as she stood in front of the tiger. "What's the rush?" The tiger said without moving. "I need to get back to my friends. Now move!" Krystal commanded. "Whoa, feisty." The tiger smirked. "Seems a pity to let a pretty vixen like you just walk away. We should get to know one another better." The tiger said. Before Krystal could even think about retorting, the tiger charged her. He slammed Krystal into the wall, his paws pinning her arms to the wall, cutting off any escape. Krystal struggled, but the tiger was too strong. Put one arm across her neck, and when she tried to move forward, she almost choked.

The tiger slipped his other paw into Krystal's shirt. "Don't worry. I'll be gentle if you stop struggling." But before he could go any further, he was knocked nearly 5 metres away from Krystal. She turned to see Fox standing in front of her, looking at the tiger on the ground, his face twisted in rage and hatred.

He had delivered a flying sidekick to his head. When the tiger got up, he rushed Fox. Fox sidestepped, grabbed his arm, and slammed him into the opposite wall. He put the tiger in a wrist lock against the wall and started to apply pressure. The tiger screamed with pain. Then, there was a sickening crack, and Fox released the unfortunate animal. He slumped forward; clutching his broken wrist. He looked up at Fox. Fox glared at the feline in front of him.

The tiger slipped his hand unbroken behind his back and pulled out a knife from his pocket. He was about to jump up and attack Fox, despite his injury, when Fox delivered a hard roundhouse kick to the tiger's hand and the knife was sent flying. Fox grabbed the tiger by the collar and slammed him into the wall. He started punching the feline in the face as hard as he could, knocking out teeth and crunching bone.

Fox started to land punches in his stomach as well as his face. Krystal could see that Fox was going to beat him to death, whether he intended to or not. "Fox, stop." Krystal commanded. "Krystal he was about to-" Krystal cut Fox off. "I know what he was about to do, but I don't think he should die." She said. Both Fox and the tiger looked at Krystal in shock. Fox turned back to the now badly beaten feline in front of him, his face an icy glare.

"Listen, you son of a bitch, if you EVER so much as look at Krystal ever again, I will hunt you down and rip off your head." Fox shouted at the tiger, who was, by now, terrified. Fox then kneed the tiger in the groin, and he promptly keeled over in pain. As he was coming down, Fox landed an uppercut under his chin. He then smashed his raised elbow down upon the beaten feline's skull, knocking him out cold.

Fox then turned to Krystal; his expression had changed from one of rage to worry. He ran up and put one paw on her cheek and the other around her waist. "Oh my God, Krystal, are you okay?" Fox asked in a panic. "I'm fine Fox." Krystal said, returning his gaze. "Thank you, Fox. You saved me." She said. She threw her arms around Fox and began to cry. "If you hadn't shown up…" Krystal's voice trailed off as she continued to sob. Fox put his arms around her, one paw on her back and the other behind her head.

After Krystal had dried her tears, she and Fox started to walk over to the restaurant. Fox opened the door and almost walked straight into Slippy. "Oh, hi Fox. We were getting worried." Slippy said. "What kept ya?" "I'll tell you once were inside.

Fox recounted Krystal's run in with the tiger, how Fox got worried and came after her and saved her. Everyone except Fara was distressed when they heard of what happened to Krystal. Fara seemed not to care.

The group ordered their dinners and thoroughly enjoyed them. Afterwards, Fara and the team parted company. Fara left in her car and Star Fox in two separate taxis.

Once she had entered the privacy of her car, Fara dropped her façade of relaxation and happiness. She was thinking about Fox, herself and Krystal. She was distraught. _Fox, you've been gone for eight years, but I still love you. _Fara thought to herself. _And what of this girl Krystal? Have you just replaced me? No, Fox would never do that to me. Would he? This merits further investigation. _Fara sat up straight with a new determination. She was going to find out what there was between Fox and Krystal, if there was anything.

(Back at the hotel with Star Fox)

The team had retired for the evening and everyone was in his or her room. It was about 9:00, and everyone was tired. Krystal was sitting on her bed, thinking. She wanted to tell Fox how she felt here and now, more than anything, but her subconscious wouldn't let her. She decided that freaking out would do nothing and it was better to talk back aboard the Great Fox.

Krystal changed into her pink nightgown, laid down and tried to go to sleep. However, the peaceful slumber she wanted would not come to her. She rolled back and forth, but her restless mind would not let her find sleep. She wanted to be with Fox, but, at the same time, she just wanted to be alone and control her thoughts. Her instinctive, primal side told her to go to Fox and stay with him, but her logical side told her to stay here, in her own room. _I can't keep using that nightmare as an excuse for sleeping with him. _Krystal thought. _Still, whenever I'm with him, I feel protected and safe, and I never have nightmares. They always terrify me, and I don't know if I can bear seeing him die again, even if it's only a dream. _

Krystal thought back to the last time she had continuous nightmares like this. They were of the destruction of Cerinia. And now, they came back to haunt her. Krystal avoided thinking of the exact events in her dreams, but she could not push them from her mind completely. She recalled that soon after she had those nightmares, she was sent out on a journey to learn the skills of combat and magic that her culture valued. Being the princess, it was her duty. She remembered looking back on her planet as her ship pulled away, and then, suddenly, Cerinia exploded. Krystal saw a ship pulling away from the planet, and knew that that was the one that had destroyed her world. She had tried to pursue it, but when it fired its engines; her ship was thrown into the depths of space. She had landed on Dinosaur Planet and had received a distress signal, and then there was the fiasco involving General Scales and Andross, and now here she was.

The two sides of her mind battled, one to go to Fox and always be with him, and the other to stay here and wait until she was sure Fox had feelings for her. Finally, the former won, and she left her room and entered Fox's. She saw him sleeping peacefully on his bed. She walked over to his bed and climbed in, facing him, and wrapped her arms gently around him, and fell asleep.   
(A/N: The following message applies to everyone, except CresentEmerald and my anonymous friend, CLICK THE REVIEW BUTTON AND GIVE ME YOUR F OPINION! Simba out)


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Fox awoke fairly early in the morning; it was still dark. He looked down at the blue vixen that lay in his arms. He smiled and closed his eyes once more. He didn't want this moment to end. Krystal was still asleep. She smiled and snuggled her head further into Fox's chest. Fox slowly fell asleep again.

Slippy was up early and after getting dressed, walked out into the hall and down to the restaurant for breakfast. Peppy was still asleep. Katt and Falco were both awake, but they were in their room, getting ready for departure.

Fox awoke and started to get dressed. He put on a pair of climber shorts and a black white T-shirt. Just after he was brushing his teeth, Krystal got up. When Fox exited the washroom, he noticed she was up and smiled at her. She smiled back and then yawned. "Sleep well?" Fox asked. "In here, yeah." Krystal replied. "I need to get dressed." She rose and walked towards the door. Fox opened it for her and walked out after her.

When Fox looked down the hall after closing the door, his gaze met that of a very shocked looking Falco.

"Nothing happened." Fox said, knowing what Falco was assuming. Krystal, being the naïve vixen she is, was completely lost. She looked up at Fox "Was something supposed to happen? Did I not do something?" She asked, thinking that the sentence was directed at her. Fox blushed hard. Falco just stood still, mouth agape, in surprise. Falco rubbed his eyes, just to make sure he wasn't still asleep and dreaming. He looked over at the two foxes at the other end of the hall. "It's nothing. I was just talking to Falco." Fox said, trying to avoid further humiliation.

Krystal walked down the hall and into her room to get dressed. After she closed the door, Fox started towards the elevator. Falco walked up to him. His face showed none of the shock that he had felt a moment before. "So, how did she do?" Falco asked sarcastically. "Stuff it Falco." Fox snapped. "Like I said, nothing happened. Krystal just wanted to talk to me about something." Fox said. "What did she say?" Falco asked with a smirk. "Why do you care?" Fox shot back. "Just curious is all." Falco replied. Fox stomped off towards the restaurant for breakfast before Falco could fire off any more annoying comments.

As Fox was leaving, Katt came out into the hallway. She saw Falco standing with his arms crossed and Fox trudging over to the elevators. "What happened?" Katt asked Falco. "Something tells me that Fox likes Krystal." Falco answered. "No really?" Katt said sarcastically. "You think they have something going on?" Falco asked as he turned to the pink feline beside them. "I _know _the have something going on. It's painfully obvious, and Fox doesn't know how to hide it." Katt said. "So, what do you think of it?" Falco asked. "I think it's good that he finally found someone, but he needs to just come out and tell her, not bottle up his emotions." Katt answered. "Looks like McCloud got lucky with this one" Falco said "like I got lucky with you." He said taking her paw in his feathered hand. "I think it was me who was fortunate." Katt said, smiling up at Falco. Falco smiled back. He pulled her into him in a quick embrace, then released her. Then, the two animals started to the elevators after Fox.

Fox stood in the elevator, arms crossed, tapping his foot as he quickly descended to the restaurant on the bottom floor. _Why can't Falco just shut up for once? _He thought to himself. _I mean, it's not there is anything between us. _Fox managed to put the incident with Falco and Krystal out of his mind.

Once he reached the ground floor, Fox walked over to the buffet and picked up some toast and scrambled eggs. After paying, he found Slippy sitting at a table by a window. Fox joined him and started eating. Fox had almost finished his breakfast when the elevator door opened to reveal a very dizzy looking Krystal. Fox ran over to her, thinking she looked like she was about to collapse. She put her paw to her head to try and steady herself. She took a few shaky steps out of the elevator and into the lobby. By now, Fox had arrived, looking worried. Krystal swayed back and then forward, practically falling into Fox. He caught her in his arms and looked down at her. "Sorry, I didn't know how to work the elevators." Krystal said as she looked up at Fox, smiling and a little embarrassed.

As luck would have it, this was the exact moment when both Falco and Katt arrived at the restaurant. Both of them stared for a moment at the scene that was unfolding in front of them. "Well, I guess we were right after all." Katt said, smiling up at Falco. They both chuckled and walked over to the buffet. Fox was about to say something in rebuttal, when he felt a paw against his cheek. He turned back to Krystal, who was gently stroking the side of his face with her paw. She had a gentle smile on her face.

Fox, not wanting to cause a scene, helped Krystal to regain balance. He showed her over to the buffet. She looked over the food, and picked out some fruit and cereal. After retrieving breakfast, Krystal and Fox sat down at the table to join the rest of the team.

When breakfast was finished, Fox checked the team out of the hotel and they all left for the hangar where the Great Fox was being upgraded. When they arrived, the mechanics were running final tests to make sure that all the systems were in place. "What are they doing to the Great Fox?" Krystal asked. While the question was intended for Fox, it was Slippy that answered. "They're adapting it to travel at 2.5 times light speed using the latest in mobile warp technology, a portable gate divided into sections that are attached around the hull of the Great Fox." Slippy answered. Krystal sat with a confused look on her face. Fox leaned over spoke to her. "They're adding on stuff to make it go fast." Fox said. Krystal understood.

When the group arrived at the main door of the Great Fox, they met General Pepper, who happened to be standing there. He greeted them and wished them good luck on their mission. They all boarded the improved Great Fox, but Pepper pulled Fox back. "Fox, this is an incredibly dangerous mission. Black Snake is a ruthless organization. They'll do whatever it takes to gain superiority." Pepper warned. "Relax, it's not like danger is new to me." Fox replied. "Just don't die." Pepper said, biding Fox farewell. Fox joined the rest of the team aboard the Great Fox and prepared for departure.

Fox and the others all stood on the bridge, waiting for the mechanics to clear the area for launch. Once they were clear for departure, Slippy and Peppy sat down and started up the engines. "Okay Fox, we're ready to go." Slippy said excitedly. "Let's get going." Fox said. Slippy fired up the powerful engines of the massive ship and the Great Fox started to move. It took a minute to gather up speed, but it eventually lifted of the ground and into the air.

"Okay Slippy, bring us into space." Fox said. Everyone sat down for the rough ride through Corneria's atmosphere. Slippy activated the last of the engines and the Great Fox roared through the air at a break-neck speed. Krystal grabbed Fox's paw in her own. Fox took notice of this.

He looked at the cerulean vixen seated beside him. She turned to him, a worried look on her face. "What's happening?" She asked. Fox smiled and answered. "It's okay Krystal, were just going through the atmosphere." "Is it dangerous?" she asked, concerned. "No Krystal, it's perfectly safe." Fox said, still smiling. "Well, okay." She said warily. The Great Fox continued to rumble until it broke through the atmosphere. Once in space, the ride became very smooth. "The Great Fox is out of the Cornerian atmosphere and gravitational pull." ROB said in his monotone voice.

"Okay Fox, were ready to initiate the warp sequence." Slippy said excitedly. The little green frog was obviously excited about using the new technology that the Great Fox had been equipped with. "Okay Slip, start her up." Fox said. Slippy turned back to his monitor. He then entered a code on his keyboard, and looked around expectedly.

Suddenly, the crew heard a loud clank. "That's the sections of the warp gate being released from the Great Fox." Slippy said. "They should connect and form the warp gate in front of us." Slippy explained. The team looked out the window in front of them, and, sure enough, large sections of metal, each of the same size, came together and formed a circle. "Initiating warp generator." ROB said. A beam of light shot out to the centre of the ring from the middle of each section. They met in the middle of the circle and formed a large ball of light. The light in the middle expanded outwards to form a layer of green light that spread across the circle, till it hit the metal sections on the outside.

"Warp gate complete. Ready for transportation." ROB announced. "Well, here we go." Slippy said to himself. The Great Fox started to move towards the warp gate. As the colossal ship grew closer, Krystal began to get more nervous. "Fox, are you sure this will work?" Krystal asked, clearly worried. Fox turned so that he was facing her. He put his paw on her shoulder, and spoke in calm, soothing voice. "Don't worry Krystal everything is going to be fine." Fox's words eased Krystal's anxiety somewhat. However, when the nose of the Great Fox was about to enter the warp gate, Krystal reached out and grabbed Fox's arm and moved much closer to him. She stood behind him, and wrapped her arms around Fox's. Fox took notice, but didn't do anything.

Then, the Great Fox entered the warp gate. When the ship had completely gone through, the gate disappeared like nothing had ever happened. Inside the ship, the crew stood at the bridge, looking out the windows. All they could see was an endless tunnel of green light. Krystal took a step out from behind Fox and looked in amazement at the spectacle. She had never dreamed of experiencing anything like this in her whole life.

After a moment of traveling, the team saw a gate, identical to the one that the entered through, far off in the distance dead ahead of them. It drew closer very quickly, and when the ship reached it, the endless expanse of green ended and the members of Star Fox found themselves looking upon a medium-sized planet, forest green planet slowly rotating below them.

"Whew, that was quite a trip, huh Fox?" Slippy said. "Yeah, that was cool." Fox said. "That was _amazing! _How did we do that?" Krystal was practically jumping with glee after her first warp gate trip. "I would give you the technical definition, but that would take hours." Slippy said. "Basically, we just traveled at an incredible speed via a new technology that the Cornerian government designed. It's quite interesting, really, what they do is to take a small warp generator and put it…" Slippy's voice trailed off when he realized that he was about to start rambling one about something only he knew about. "Well, that was cool, but don't we have some anarchist group to take out or something?" Falco said, crossing his arms. "Falco's right. Let's head down to the planet and contact the government." Fox said.

The Great Fox descended through the atmosphere of the planet Iris. This time, Krystal was not nervous about the bumpy ride. There were no security planes that regulated travel onto and off the planet, like on Corneria. "Hey, looks like someone's tryin' to contact us." Slippy said after the ship had passed through the atmosphere. "Bring it up." Fox said. Slippy pressed the blinking button that indicated a message.

The image of a German shepherd, dressed in a high-ranking officer's uniform appeared on the hologram projector. "Greetings, Star Fox. I am Colonel Howitz, leader of the military here on Iris. As you probably know, we are at war with a rebel group known as Black Snake. I assume that General Pepper sent you here to assist us?" He said. "That's correct, colonel. Where should we land?" Fox replied. "There is a suitable landing area less then a mile from the capital. I'll send you the coordinates." The German shepherd said. "Thanks. We'll be there soon." Fox said. Then, the transmission ended.

Slippy steered the Great Fox down to the surface of the planet. From the looks of things, the area where they landed was a region of foot hills with mountains in the distance. A large military base sprawled out on the plain. Slippy docked the Great Fox in one of the large hangars spread throughout the base.

Once the Great Fox had landed and the engines were shut off, Fox and the others exited the ship. The base where they were docked was a fairly large one. Fox led the other out of the hangar and to the main building.

They entered and looked around their new surroundings: assorted animals were running around performing individual tasks and some shouting could be heard. Basically, chaos ruled supreme. "So, how to we find this Colonel Howitz?" Falco said. Fox thought for a second, and then grabbed a terrier that had happened to be passing by. "Hey, where is Colonel Howitz?" Fox asked. "He's in his office, third floor, can't miss it." The terrier said, and then returned to what he was doing.

Fox and the others all entered the elevator and arrived shortly thereafter at the third floor. Colonel Howitz's office was, as the terrier said, easy to find. There was a large plaque that read 'Colonel Eric Howitz' over the door. The group entered the room to see the same German shepherd talking with an aide. "Ah, Star Fox, it's good you've come. I need to talk with you." The canine said, looking over at the newly arrived animals. The aide departed and closed the door behind him.

Howitz started to speak in a very serious tone. "It's good you've arrived. Now, we are in desperate need of you assistance. The war is not going too well. The planet is pretty much split evenly, between the legitimate government and Black Snake. Now, before you can be completely brought up to speed on current events, we need you to take out a base that is in the mountains not too far from here. It is a major threat and we need it to be eliminated. This matter must be dealt with NOW. Time is of the essence. I will transmit the location to the Great Fox, and then completely destroy the base. If possible, try to capture this man." Howitz lifted a picture of an ugly shrew. "He is the commander of the base with possible information about the leader of Black Snake. His name is Bo Wallis." The colonel put the picture down. "A task force well head out in about 15 minutes. Go with them."

With that, Colonel Howitz dismissed them and they left the office. "Well, that was quite rude of him." Krystal said. "Well, he is under a lot of pressure, and this base is a big threat." Fox said, turning to Krystal. "C'mon, let's just blow up this base, get that guy, and get back here." Falco said. With that, the group left to get back into their ship to join the task force.

(A/N: I'm gonna be away for a while, so if I don't update for a week or two, just know that this fic is NOT dead. Simba out (REVIEW!))


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

The force that was to attack the base was made up of about 500 men in total, 100 fighters and 400 ground troops, with some tanks. All the troops were just about to leave. They were all Fox and the others made their way to the Great Fox and boarded. They seated themselves in their normal positions about the bridge. Slippy fired up the engines and steered the ship, Peppy mapped out the course based on the coordinates that Colonel Howitz gave them, Falco and Katt manned on the ship's defense system, and Fox discussed the plan of attack with the commanding officer of the task force. Krystal, however, did not know what to do. She stood there for a moment, wondering how she could help.

After a moment, she walked over to Fox. "Okay, Commander, that sounds like a good plan. Fox out." Fox tapped a button near the screen and it went dark. He rotated his chair, and saw Krystal standing next to him. "Hey Fox, what should I do?" She asked. Fox thought for a moment, and then answered. "Well, would you like to be in charge of the main cannon on the Great Fox? During our last battle, you seemed really good at it." Krystal was a little surprised.

"Aren't Falco and Katt going to use the cannons?" Krystal asked. "No, they're just getting them ready. Well, how 'bout it?" Fox asked. "Well, I'd like that, but could you show me to fly an Arwing at some point?" Krystal asked. "Sure, but it'll take a while before you can fly well enough to go on missions." Fox answered. "That's fine; I just want to give it a try." Krystal said.

She then took a seat near Peppy, and waited for the Great Fox to arrive at the base. The giant ship sped towards the mountains, riding close to the task force. "Okay, Commander, time to put the plan in motion." Fox said. "Slippy, take us away from the task force and out of sight. We will meet up with them at the base." Slippy looked at Fox, a puzzled look on his face.

Seeing this, Fox explained. "My good friend and leader of the task force, Commander Bill Grey, and I have come up with a plan of attack on the base. The base itself is very big and is set against the side of a mountain. Grey and his team will attack directly from one side, and while the troops inside are distracted, we'll come from another side and capture the guy that Colonel Howitz showed us. Then, we leave."

As Fox explained the finer details of the operation, Krystal started to pay less attention to what Fox was saying, and more to Fox himself. _He seems like a completely different fur during a mission. Normally, he's a really nice, gentle, but now, he's much more confident. _The blue vixen thought. Her eyes looked over Fox's distinguished features.

After explaining the finer details of the plan to the rest of the crew, Fox noticed Krystal staring at him. He gave her a questioning look, and she stared at the floor and blushed beneath her blue fur, embarrassed at being caught staring. Fox gave a slight smile and returned his gaze to the mountain valley they were negotiating.

After a moment of silent flying, a high-pitched beeping came from a button on Fox's control panel. "We're really close to the base now. Slippy, switch the Great Fox over to stealth mode and land behind that ridge." Slippy followed Fox's orders and steered the large ship until it was well hidden. Then, everyone disembarked. They all took one of the standard automatic rifles that Fox had bought back on Corneria. Falco, true to nature, went straight for the large laser cannon. Slippy took the explosives. Fox strapped the two light machine guns to his back. Krystal took the sniper rifle. Katt took the hand held, anti air, laser-guided missile launcher.

After they had locked the Great Fox, which was invisible due to the effects of stealth mode, Fox gave instructions for the mission. "Okay, there are three main targets that we need to hit: the troop barracks, the armory and the headquarters. We'll split into two groups: Falco and Slippy, and Krystal and me." Here, Fox pressed a few buttons on his wrist communicator and brought up a 3-D, holographic map of the base. There were three blinking targets, two that were situated close together in the southern half of the base, and a larger one that was right next to the side of the mountain.

"Falco, Katt and Slippy, as you can see, the armory and the barracks are close together, and that armory will probably have enough explosives to blow up both buildings with one go. Krystal and I will go to the headquarters. That is were we will most likely find Bo Wallis. We'll grab him and then get the hell out of there. Listen, we need to coordinate the attacks so they happen simultaneously, or else Wallis will get scared and run before we get to him. Now let's go."

Just as Fox had finished giving instructions, an artillery barrage came from the northern wall of the base, the side facing Colonel Howitz's base. "That's our cue! Let's go!" Fox commanded. The team split up to attack their assigned targets. They entered through a side gate near their landing point, and entered the base. Falco, Katt and Slippy moved along the wall towards the armory and barracks, while Krystal and Fox walked straight through the base.

(Falco, Katt and Slippy)

The three furs moved along the side of the wall, ducking into corners at the slightest sound. But after a few moments of stealth, it became obvious that there were no soldiers around. "They must've gone to fight Grey's men." Katt said. "Oh well, makes our job easier. Look, here's the armory." Falco pointed out as they reached their destination. Katt shouldered her cannon and was about to fire, when Falco grabbed it and pulled it away. "Wait a minute! There could be some real sweet weapons in there. I wanna go get anything useful." Falco said. Katt sighed, but relented and let Falco go. He dashed throw the main entrance and into the weapons vault. Katt and Slippy soon followed.

When they entered, the found Falco eagerly opening one of the boxes marked 'Heavy Weaponry'. "He's like a kit in a candy store." Katt whispered to Slippy. "AWESOME!" Falco shouted at the top of his lungs when he saw what he had found. He lifted it up to show his companions. They stared at it, amazed. Finally, Katt broke the silence. "Uh, Falco, what is that?" she asked. The weapon that Falco had found was immense, at least six feet long. It was held like a bazooka, but it had a handle and trigger. Falco placed his other wing under the weapon to support it. There was a small touch-screen near the trigger. Falco tried a few buttons and found that the weapon was every gun imaginable rolled into one. There was a sniper mode, machine gun mode, anti air and anti tank modes, and then rocket launchers.

"Well, what do you think?" Falco asked with a cocky grin. "I think that whoever gets you angry is dead." Katt answered. "Damn straight." Falco said. "I have all I need. Let's blow up this place and see how Fox and Krystal are doing." The three of them exited the armory and Slippy set some of the charges. They started to beep. "Okay, this is a good place not to be." He said and started to run off. Katt and Falco followed him. The charges started to beep faster and faster, and then exploded.

The force of the blast knocked Slippy clear of his feet. Katt stumbled and fell, while Falco was rocked, but didn't fall. He caught Katt and helped her regain her balance. "Damn Slippy, how many charges did you set?" Falco shouted. "Enough." Slippy said with a smile. "Let's just get going before the guards come back." Katt said. With that, all three of them left.

(Krystal and Fox)

Fox had observed early on that all the guards were distracted by the attack, so the two vulpine made no effort at staying hidden. The base was very large, but so was the headquarters. It was easily the tallest building on the base.

Once they were close to the tower, Fox took out a pair of binoculars and looked over the building. After a brief moment of observation, he turned to face Krystal. "It looks like Bo Wallis is on the top floor. There doesn't seem to be anyone else except for two guards outside his office, but there's likely to be an intruder defense system. Here's the plan: I'll enter the building and make my way up to Wallis, and you keep me covered with your sniper rifle, okay?" "Okay. Be careful Fox." Krystal said. She was concerned.

Fox made everything sound so easy, but this was dangerous. He started off to the large building, but Krystal stopped him. "Oh Fox, I almost forgot. How do use this?" Krystal asked, indicating her sniper rifle. Fox stood dumbfounded for a moment. "Peppy showed me how to use the cannon, but I bet this is different." Krystal said. _Well, she did grow up on a primitive planet. _Fox thought. "Well, you aim it at the person you are shooting at, and pull that trigger. If you run out of ammo, pull out the cartridge there and replace it with a fresh one." Fox instructed. "Okay Fox, thanks." Krystal said.

"Now all we have to do is wait for Katt, Falco and Slippy to blow up their targets." Fox said. As if on cue, a massive explosion rocked the landscape. "Well, time to go." Fox said as he smiled at Krystal.

Fox left Krystal on top of a roof and walked up to the main gate. He entered the lobby and found it deserted. He walked over to the elevator and tried it, but the power was dead. "Figures." Fox muttered to himself. He walked over to the stairs and opened the door.

He had gotten about halfway up the second flight when he felt a sudden, shooting pain in the back of his neck. He put his hand to the back of his neck. He felt the tranquilizer dart that had pierced his skin. "Damn." Fox said aloud, and then collapsed on the ground, unconscious.

(A/N: Yay, I'm back. Cliffie!. Review!)


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Fox woke with a jolt as he felt himself being thrown to the floor. He groaned and slowly opened his eyes. He found himself in the office of Bo Wallis. The two guards that had been carrying him had turned and left, leaving the two alone. The shrew himself sat in a chair, smiling maliciously. "So this is the famous Fox McCloud, eh? You don't seem like anything special." He said in a dry and cracked voice. "Oh well, looks like I'll just kill you and be done with it." Wallis pulled out a blaster from his pocket and aim straight at Fox's head. "Die."

Fox's eyes shut tightly as the gun went off. His life flashed before his eyes. Then, he started seeing images of people. Katt, Slippy, Falco and Peppy all zoomed past him. Next, he saw a pair of people he had not seen in years. It was Vixy and James. Fox stared in awe at seeing his parents again.

Finally, one image dominated his view. It was a picture of Krystal. Fox suddenly realized exactly what was going on: these were the people he cared most about. Krystal's picture was the largest because she was the one he cared about more than anything. _'I'm sorry I couldn't be with you Krystal. I'm sorry I didn't even get a chance to tell you how I feel'. _He thought.

Fox was sure that he was dead now. Strangely, he felt no pain. In fact, he didn't even feel the impact. He opened his eyes and looked around. Instead of the dark oblivion that he expected, he was still in Wallis' office, but the shrew himself was on the ground, clenching what was left of his right paw. Fox looked in disbelief first at his captor, then at the shattered window where the laser that had saved him had come from. He ran over and looked out the window at a smiling Krystal on a nearby rooftop. It all became clear; Krystal had shot Wallis in the paw just before he fired. Fox smiled back, and then turned back to Wallis.

(Krystal)

Krystal breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that Fox was okay. All she saw was Wallis talking to someone and then pull out a blaster. Whoever he was pointing it at was behind a wall. Fearing that he was about to shoot someone, especially her beloved Fox, she fired at his hand. Once she saw Fox walk into view, she felt a surge of relief.

After a few moments, Krystal saw Fox walk out of the tower, carrying an unconscious and subdued Bo Wallis on his back. Fox carried him up to where Krystal was waiting, and tossed him on the ground. "Thanks Krystal. If you hadn't shot his hand, I'd be dead right now." Fox chucked, but Krystal just stood there, showing no emotion. Fox noticed this. "Hey, are you okay?" Fox asked concerned. Still, Krystal didn't answer.

Then, without warning, Krystal slapped Fox hard across the face. Fox looked at her in shock. Tears started to gather in Krystal's eyes. "Hey, what was that for?" Fox asked. "I told you to be careful. You almost got shot!" Krystal shouted. "If you had gotten killed… I…" Krystal's voice trailed off as she started to cry. She put her head into Fox's chest and continued to sob. Fox put his arms around her and stroked her hair with his right paw. "It's alright Krystal. I'm okay." Fox said in a comforting voice. After Krystal stopped crying, she looked up at Fox and spoke. "Fox, I worry about you. You've got to be more careful." "Okay, Krystal, I promise to be more careful." Fox said. Krystal smiled up at Fox and they separated.

Just then, Falco, Katt and Slippy found Fox, Krystal and the still unconscious Bo Wallis. "Well, the armory and barracks are history, and it looks like you two got Wallis." Katt said. "Let's move before the rest of guards get back."

Without warning, everyone heard a gunshot. Everyone turned to see who was firing. They saw about twenty guards, all with blasters drawn, staring them down. "You jinxed us Katt." Fox said. "Doesn't matter, we have a hostage." Katt replied. She then shouted at the troops in front of them, "We have Wallis. Let us go or will shoot him." She drew her blaster and aimed it at Wallis to emphasize her point.

The guards took the hint and dropped their rifles. "See, we're okay." Katt said to Fox. They started to the base exit with Wallis. They could see the gate and were about to exit, when one of the soldiers grabbed his rifle and shot at Fox. It hit him in the back and he went down. Krystal screamed and everyone else turned to see Fox land on the ground. Katt shot the guard in the head and he died instantly. The rest scattered.

Krystal ran to Fox and lifted him in her arms. Because of his muscular stature, he was heavy, but Krystal barely noticed. Tears streamed down her face as she held Fox. "No Fox, don't die. Don't die. Please." Krystal said through her tears. Fox spat out blood and tried to speak. "Hey… I'm not dead… yet." Fox smiled up at the blue vixen holding him. His vision started to blur and he passed out. To Krystal, however, it looked like he had died. Thinking that the vulpine of her dreams had just died in her arms, she broke down, and wept bitterly.

Falco ran over to her. "Come on, he's not dead!" he shouted. Krystal looked up at him. "We've got to get him to the Great Fox medical centre or he won't last long. Let's move!" he yelled. Falco lifted up Fox and ran in the direction of the Great Fox. Krystal followed, and then Katt and Slippy. As Krystal dashed after Falco, her mind raced. _Please Fox, you've got to be okay. You just have to be okay. _

(Back at the Great Fox)

In the darkness of the cargo bay Great Fox, amongst the boxed weapons and supplies, something stirred. The top of a large, unmarked crate was shoved off, and a dirty fennec climbed out. She brushed herself off, looked around the pitch black room in which she now found herself. She saw a crack of light and walked toward it. She stumbled a few times due to the boxes that were hidden by the darkness. Once she had gotten to the door, she pulled it open, albeit with some difficulty.

Once outside the pitch blackness of the storage area, Fara Phoenix gave herself another brushing over, removing some of the dust that coated her fur. _Finally, I'm out of that box. _She thought to herself. She'd been hiding for hours, and she was hungry, very hungry.

It took some time of wandering aimlessly around the Great Fox before she had found the kitchen. _I'm sure Fox won't mind if I take a small snack. _She looked around and found some eggs, bacon, and ham. She knew that it was early in the morning, and she wanted a proper breakfast.

Fara sat down and started eating the breakfast she had cooked. After finishing, she thought again about why she had stored aboard the Great Fox; Fox. _I haven't seen him for eight years; he can't just run off to some isolated planet on a mission yet, I've barely been able to speak to him. _

After her meal, Fara disposed of the dishes and decided to familiarize herself with the layout of the Great Fox. It took her at least an hour, but she finally got to where she had a rough map of the interior memorized.

_Well, I'd better look for Fox. He's probably on the bridge. _With this is mind, Fara started of to the bridge.

On her way, she thought not only about Fox, but about the blue vixen that had been with his team.

Fox faded in and out of consciousness. At times he felt like he was being carried, and at others, he felt like he was falling through an endless, black void. He finally settled into a state of complete darkness. He looked around, for now he was standing, and saw a figure facing him.

It was Krystal.

He ran toward her. She saw him coming and stretched out her arms to embrace him. Just as Fox was about to throw his arms around her and kiss her, as he had so often dreamed, he heard a blaster shot, and Krystal fell forward to the ground, dead.

Fox's heart stopped. His gaze shifted from the limp body of Krystal to the one who shot her. It was him.

He was standing behind her, a blaster in hand. He smirked and started to speak. "This is your future, McCloud." His double said, gesturing to Krystal's body.

Then, images passed in front of the real Fox's eyes. The first was of him and Krystal standing at an altar, hand in hand. They were getting married. Each looked into each other's eyes, and they leaned into a kiss.

Then, the scene shifted, and Fox saw himself looking at a casket that read 'Krystal' across the front. Again, it changed to show Fox, Krystal and another, much smaller fox, Fox's son. The next one showed Fox sitting alone on the bridge, crying. Then, Fox saw himself in Krystal's arms, in bed, asleep. The final scene was of Fox lying in bed, staring at the ceiling.

After the reel of images, Fox found himself standing on the same endless, black plain, Krystal's body and the other Fox who shot her, standing in front of him. "The first, third and fifth scenes are your dreams, what you fantasize about the most. The second, fourth and sixth scenes are your nightmares. But, as I've already said, this is your future: You are the one who kills Krystal." Fox's doppelganger said.

"Shut the hell up! I would never hurt Krystal!" Fox yelled back. The double smirked, and then spoke again. "Stop trying to fool yourself. You see Krystal as nothing but a burden. If it weren't for her, you'd be able to fight more. That _is _what you want." "Shut UP! You know absolutely nothing about me!" Fox shouted.

He charged at the image of himself and drew his arm back to punch. But right as he was about to make contact, the image disappeared and Fox again found himself falling through space.

Once Fox finally opened his eyes, he saw that he was lying in a bed at the medical centre of the Great Fox. Medical tape ran around his chest to his back. He noticed a weight on his stomach, and because he was lying flat, he couldn't see what it was. He shifted his head so he could see what it was.

His gaze fell upon the sleeping form of Krystal. She was sitting in a chair, her head resting across Fox's body. Fox smiled down at her and gently stroked her azure hair with his paw. Krystal's eyes fluttered open. "Fox!" she exclaimed as she embraced and she started to cry. She was now lying on top of Fox and sobbing. "I was so scared I thought you were dead." She said through her tears.

Fox continued to stroke her hair and spoke in a calm voice. "It's all okay. We're done. We got Wallis." "No Fox, it's not over." Krystal sobbed. "This was just the first mission of this damn war, and you were nearly killed. When you fainted, I was sure you'd died and I…" Krystal's voice trailed off. She just continued to cry, and Fox held her tight.

She found his touch comforting and eventually dried her tears. The two vulpine looked into each others eyes. Finally, Krystal spoke, "Fox, you know I've been having nightmares, where you die?" Fox nodded. "Well, the time last time I had dreams like that was just before my planet was destroyed. I was on a ship, flying away from Cerinia, and the planet just exploded. I didn't think the dreams meant anything, and later, my planet was destroyed in much the same way as I had dreamed. My guess is that because I didn't act on the dreams, my planet was doomed. I don't want to lose you as well." When Krystal finished, she started to cry again, recalling the pain of her past. Fox continued to run his paw through Krystal's hair. He was touched at her concern for him.

Suddenly, a thought struck Fox. It was fantastic, but it would explain Krystal's behavior and he had often thought of it, but was sure he was kidding himself.

Maybe Krystal loved him.

'_No, that's too much to hope for,'_ Fox thought. He did think that Krystal loved him, but he couldn't bee 100 sure. _'Besides, what would an angel like Krystal see in me? I only did what anyone decent would. She needed a place to stay and food, so I gave her both. Why would she love me?'_

Any further thought on Fox's part would have to wait, for the doors opened. Fearing that it would be Katt or Falco, Fox and Krystal readjusted themselves to their original positions to avoid embarrassment. Fortunately, it was Peppy who walked in. "Hi Fox." He said "It's good to see you awake." "What happened to me?" Fox asked. "You were shot from behind and fainted." The old hare explained. "What about Wallis?" Fox asked.  
"We turned him over to Bill's task force We're docked at the base currently, and Colonel Howitz gave us the rest of the day off." Peppy said. "Okay, thanks Peppy." Fox responded. The aged hare then turned and left. Krystal and Fox were once again left alone.

"Well, I'd better get going." Fox said after a moment of silence. He sat up, but felt a shot of pain in his back. He grunted in pain and fell back. Krystal quickly caught him and gently laid him back into the bed." You need to rest. You were lucky to survive." She said. Fox propped himself up on his elbows, albeit with great effort. And started to speak. "But I have to-" he was cut off when Krystal pressed her finger against Fox's lips. She started to speak in a gentle, but firm voice, like a mother talking to a mischievous child. "Oh no, you're staying her, and while you heal, I'm going to look after you. Now, get some sleep."

Fox decided that it was no good arguing with Krystal, and frankly, he liked having her attention fixed on him. He smiled at her. "Thanks," he said, and then closed his eyes.

While his eyes were closed, he heard someone singing. It was Krystal. It was in a different language that Fox couldn't understand the words. It was a soft and gentle song, with a soothing melody. Krystal's voice was amazing. Fox felt like he was in a trance. As soon as the song was over, Fox fell asleep.

Once Krystal had finished her song, she looked at Fox. She gently caressed the back of his head with her paw. Then, she gently kissed his forehead, got up and left the room.

Sitting outside the room were Katt, Peppy and Slippy. "So, how's he doin'?" Katt asked. "He's okay, but that wound did some damage." Krystal answered. "What about that serum that Falco used to revive you?" Slippy asked Katt. "That might have been the last off it. Falco went to check the storage room if to see if we've got anymore." Katt answered.

Suddenly, loud shouting was heard from somewhere within the ship. Everyone raced down to the lower decks to investigate.

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(A/N: Something of a mini-cliffie. Well, looks like Fara is back. Okay, I'll shut up now. Simba out.)


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

When the crew had reached the source of the disturbance, they were met with a strange, and to some extent comical, sight. In front of them were two figures. One of them was Falco, and the other was a white fennec whom they all, recognized as Fara Phoenix. Falco was standing behind Fara and had her arms locked with both of his. Fara was yelling and shouting to be let go, and Falco was doing all he could to restrain her. "Let me go, you freakin' pigeon! I came to find Fox and I'm not leaving 'till I see him!" Fara screamed. "How the hell did you get in here?" Falco grunted.

The crew of Star Fox stared at the pair for a moment. All of them were shocked to see Fara suddenly appear on the ship. Fara managed to fit one of her legs between both of Falco's and kicked up, hitting him below the belt, hard. Falco grunted and keeled over. Slippy leaned over to Katt and spoke into her ear "No kids for you." He whispered. Katt punched him in the arm. As Falco hit the floor, both he and Fara noticed that the rest of the crew, save Fox, was standing and watching.

Fara stared at them for a moment. "How long have you all been standing there?" she shouted. "Long enough." Katt snarled. She raced over to Falco and helped him up. As she was tending to her love, Fara started to explain, scratch that, shout why she was here.

"I'm here to see Fox! Tell me where he is." She demanded. Peppy answered. "I'm sorry Miss, but he's been hurt badly, and can't talk right now." Fara was stunned. She just stood there. _Fox has been hurt? What happened? _She thought to herself. "What happened to him?" Fara asked, her voice less loud, but with worry. "He was shot in the back during our most recent mission." Peppy answered. "WHAT?" Fara screamed. "Where is he?" She demanded. "He's in the medical centre." Peppy responded.

With that, Fara bolted past all of them and ran off. Only one thing was on her mind: the welfare of Fox. She knew where the medical centre was and dashed through the doors.

She found Fox lying, asleep, in the medical bed. Fara stood and watched Fox's chest slowly rise and fall in sync with his breath. A small monitor showed his heart rate. Fara walked over to him and looked over him. "Oh Fox," Fara sighed.

She just stood there, thinking. _'Fox, how could this happen to you?' _She thought. A moment passed, and then the rest of the crew entered. "There you are." Falco commented. Fara turned to the others. "I'm staying aboard." She said. They just looked at her in disbelief. "Sorry, no can do. You can't-" Fara cut him off. "Can it, birdbrain!" Fara shouted. "Can it yourself, bitch." Katt cut in. "Get your ass of this ship. You've no right to be here."

"What's the matter?" Fara asked in a snobby tone of voice. "Still sore 'cause I made your boyfriend less exciting?". Falco had his fists balled and was obviously about to pound Fara's face through as many walls, decks and other hard metal objects he could get his talons on. However, just as he was about to attack her, Katt stuck out her arm and barred Falco's advance.

He looked in surprise at her. She seemed very calm, considering the situation. "Listen Fara, I need to talk to you." She took the very surprised looking fennec over away from the others and whispered to her. "Why are you going to such great lengths just to speak with Fox." She asked, even thought she knew the answer. "I still love him. I _have _to be with him." She said.

Katt sighed in frustration. _'With all Fara's been through, letting her know about my hunch about Fox and Krystal isn't going to be easy' _Katt thought to herself. "Listen Fara, I don't know if Fox will be as eager to see you as you are him." She said. "What's that supposed to mean?" Fara demanded. "Well, it's like this; now this is just a guess on my part, but I think that Fox is in love with Krystal." Katt answered.

Fara froze. "_What?_" she asked, in a something of a desperate tone. "I said that Fox is in love with Krystal." Katt repeated. "Now, I'm not certain, but they have been acting… a bit odd around each other." She added. "You're wrong! Fox loves me!" Fara shouted, fortunately not loud enough for the others to hear. Katt shrugged. "If you say so. Just thought I'd warn you." She said.

Fara stalked off down the hall, passed the others. Katt walked back over with a smirk across her face. Falco looked puzzled. "What was that all about?" He asked. "I think we should let Fara stay, just to see what happens." Katt said in an amused tone. Falco looked at her, surprise evident on his face. "Okay" Falco sighed.

(Fara)

"Who does that pink bitch think she is? Fox still loves me, doesn't he?" Fara muttered to herself as she trudged out of the medical centre. "It doesn't matter, once Fox wakes up, I'll ask him if he still cares for me, of course he'll say yes, and Krystal will be out flat on her furry ass." Fara reassured herself as she continued to walk down the hall.

After the incident with Fara, things had begun to settle down. Krystal had taking to watching over Fox, a duty that she unwillingly shared with Fara. Krystal spent most of her time just looking at Fox as his chest rose and fell with his breathing. Fara divided her time between the same, and glaring at Krystal. Krystal took no notice of her. Her attention was focused solely on Fox.

Fox slept the rest of the day, and woke up at 3:00 AM the following morning. Fox sat up in his bed. It was dark, but he could still see Krystal, asleep in a chair next to him. Fox smiled and turned on his side. It was then that he saw Fara, and nearly fell out of bed in shock. _'What the hell is Fara doing here?' _Fox screamed in his head. After gathering his thoughts, he got out of the bed, able to walk now, and put on his uniform, for he was only wearing his boxers.

After getting dressed, Fox walked over to Krystal and gently shook her. "Krystal?" he whispered. Krystal groaned, and then looked up at the smiling Fox McCloud. "Fox, you're alright!" She yelled as she hugged Fox, for what seemed like the hundredth time.

Fox smiled down at her. They stood like that for a minute, just looking into each other's eyes. They could each tell what the other was feeling, or at least what they hoped the other was thinking; love.

Unfortunately for the two entwined vulpine, Fara happened to wake up at this particular moment. This, however was unnoticed by both Fox and Krystal. Fara stared in horror as she saw Fox and Krystal. _'That annoying cat was right! No, I can't give up. Fox will be mine, even if I have to fight for him.' _Fara thought to herself. Without being noticed, Fara snuck out and down the hall, sulking.

Fox and Krystal broke their embrace and Fox started to speak. "It's late. You look like you could use some sleep." Fox said. "No, I'm fi-" Krystal couldn't finish, due to the yawn that escaped her mouth. "Okay, so maybe I'm a little tired." She said, smiling.

They both laughed, happy to be back in each other's company. "Fox, I'm kinda' tired. Do you mind if I go to bed?" Krystal asked. "Of course not Krystal; I'll walk you back to your room." Fox answered. "Thanks," Krystal said with a smile.

(Outside Krystal's room)

"Night, Krystal" Fox said. "Goodnight, Fox" Krystal replied. They smiled to each other and went inside their own rooms. Krystal collapsed on the bed and immediately fell asleep.

Fox, however, lay in bed, looking up at the ceiling, smiling and thinking. He couldn't stop thinking about Krystal. He rolled over on his side and fell asleep, dreaming of Krystal.

Krystal and Fox woke at the same time the following morning. They greeted one another and walked down to the bridge together.

When they arrived, they saw Katt and Falco talking, Slippy tinkering with ROB and Peppy talking on a communications screen. Fox peered over and saw who he was conversing with; it was Colonel Howitz. "Thank you, sir." Peppy finished and turned off the screen. He turned to face everyone else, who in turn gave him their attention.

"I just got off the line with Howitz. He wants us to join in an operation. He said he'd give us full briefing tomorrow, so we have today to rest." Peppy said. "Excellent." Falco said as he leaned back in his chair.

Everyone else was glad as well. After the previous mission, everyone was tired, especially Krystal.

The Great Fox was docked in a hangar at Colonel Howitz's HQ, so Fox, Krystal and everyone else decided to get out and do whatever. The base was near a city loyal to the legitimate government, so Fox and the others decided that that was a good place to spend their day off.

Falco and Katt went in one Arwing, Peppy and Slippy in another and finally, Fox and Krystal. The ride over was uneventful, at least until the city skyline came into view. Krystal, not having seen a city before, was amazed.

"Is that… the city?" She asked. "Yeah." Fox responded. Krystal continued to stare in awe. "Wow, I've never seen a city like that before." She said. Fox looked at her in surprise. Krystal noticed, and answered Fox's unasked question. "Cerinia was a primitive planet. Other then a few merchant ships that I've seen, I've had no contact with technology." "Well, I think you'll like it. There're all kinds of things to do." Fox said. "Like what?" Krystal asked. "I'll show you when we get there." Fox responded with a smile. Krystal gave him a questioning look, but Fox just chuckled.

They landed at a port in the centre of the city and ate a late breakfast in a café. After finishing their meal, Fox and everyone else discussed their plans for the day. "I think that we should see a movie, then go look around the city and after dinner, maybe go dancing or something." Falco said. "I like that." Katt said, looking at Falco. They smiled at each other and Katt put her paw on Falco's talon.

"Okay, on the condition that I don't dance. I'm too old." Peppy said. "Agreed, I don't feel like dancing, either." Slippy added. Falco grinned evilly, "Oh no, Slippy, you're coming with us. Peppy has a good reason, but you don't!" he said. Slippy looked at him in horror. "What, you're kidding, right?" he said. "Afraid not." Falco answered with a smirk.

Slippy groaned and everyone else laughed. "Okay, so what movie should we see?" Fox asked. "Let's see what's showing. Then we'll decide." Katt said. "Sounds good. Let's go." Falco said, getting up.

Fox offered to pay, and then they went to the theatre. "Let's see what we have here." Katt said to herself. There was a sci-fi romance, an action-adventure and a mystery. "We'll, what do you guys think? I think the sci-fi romance would be fun." Katt piped up. "Sounds good." Falco said. "I'm fine with anything, so I'm good with sci-fi." Fox said. "Um… I don't know what any of these are, so I guess I can't object." Krystal said. Falco and Katt looked surprised at her words, but shrugged it off, remembering that she had never seen a movie before.

Once inside the theatre, Falco got some seats in the centre row. Katt sat towards the outside, Falco next to her, then Fox, Krystal, Slippy and Peppy. The movie opened in a science lab, with the main character, a research doctor in his late twenties, was working on a project, when there was a malfunction and he ended up in some other world. Fox didn't pay too much attention, but he thought that the special effects were well done and the actors were good.

About half an hour into the movie, there was an awkward scene between the main character and his possible love interest. Not liking the embarrassing dialogue between the two, Fox glanced away from the screen and noticed that Katt and Falco were gone. He looked around and saw that Katt and Falco had taken two unoccupied seats in the back row, and were making out.

Fox rolled his eyes at the pair and turned his attention back to the movie. The main character and his friends were being pursued by someone. The whole sequence was obviously supposed to be frightening, but Fox, being a mercenary and having seen much horror in the past was unafraid. But Krystal, however, was very scared. She was shaking and sweating.

Fox noticed this, smiled and took her paw in his. She looked over at him, glad for his comforting touch. "Don't worry. It's not real." Fox whispered. Krystal nodded and looked back towards the movie. She still gripped Fox's paw, but didn't get scared.

At the end of the movie, the doctor was returned to his home, but with the girl he fell in love with came back with him, they were married, had kids, lived happily ever after, the whole fairy tale/Disney movie ending.

After the movie, Katt and Falco met up with the others. "So, enjoy the movie?" Fox asked of Katt and Falco with a smirk. "Well, it was okay." Katt said hesitantly. "What was your favorite part?" Fox questioned further. "I…uh…" Falco started. "Never mind." Fox cut in. "I thought it was good." Krystal said. "Yeah, I thought so, too." Fox added. "It was okay. Let's go." Falco finished.

After everyone left the theatre, they decided to look around the city, much to Krystal's delight.


	11. Chapter 11

(A/N: It wouldn't be Labor day without a fic update. Here it is)

Chapter 11

The Star Fox team decided to split up according to their interests. Of course, Falco went with Katt to go see one of the other movies (Fox guessed that this was a ruse to allow them more make out time) Slippy went on his own to look around some of the tech stores, Peppy elected to go to some old museum (A/N: No flames for that. I just couldn't think of anything better and couldn't have everyone doing the same thing!) and Fox chose, with stifled enthusiasm, to stay with Krystal as she looked around the city.

"Since we had a late breakfast, why don't we meet up at 2:00 PM at the same place where we had lunch?" Peppy suggested. "Works for me." Falco commented. The others nodded in agreement. Then, they split up to look around the city.

Krystal was totally in awe of the city. Everything about it was completely new and exciting. The vixen gazed around the skyscrapers and stores, a smile creeping on to her elegant features. "Fox, I want to see as much of the city as possible." She said, turning to her companion.

"Sure, Krystal." Fox responded. He wanted to make Krystal's first experience in a city a memorable one. "What should we do first, Fox?" Krystal asked. "Well, how 'bout we walk around, just to see what there is?" Fox replied. "Alright." Krystal responded.

So, the two vulpine began walking around the large city. Krystal walked into and looked around every store that she took an interest in, which turned out to be about every one out of five buildings, so naturally, Fox started to lose patience.

It was in a department store, while Krystal was trying on different articles of clothing, when Fox finally snapped. He looked down at his watch, and saw that the time was 1:50 PM, 10 minutes to get to lunch with the others. Krystal had been in the changing room for the last 15 minutes.

Fox knocked on the door. "Krystal, are you okay?" he asked. "I'm sorry, I'm having a little trouble." She replied. Again, demonstrating her naïveté, she asked perhaps the most embarrassing question conceivable. She said, "Fox, could you give me a hand?"

Fox stared in shock at the door. "Come again?" he said, wanting to make sure he had heard her correctly.

"I asked if you could come in and help me with something." Krystal repeated, not sounding the least bit annoyed.

"Um, are you sure you want me to come in?" Fox said warily. "Yes." Krystal replied. Fox just stood still for a moment, not knowing what to do. Krystal's gentle voice cut him off from his thoughts. "Fox, are you okay?" she asked. "Yeah, I'm fine Krystal. I'll be in, just a moment." He responded. _'Okay, I'll walk in slowly with my eyes closed,' _Fox mentally prepared himself.

The orange vulpine closed his green eyes and slowly walked into the changing stall.

"Okay, I'm here." He said once he made sure the door was closed. "What do you need help with?" he asked. He heard Krystal giggle. "What?" Fox asked his eyes still closed. "You can open your eyes. I'm decently dressed. I just needed a hand with a zipper in the back." Krystal answered.

Slowly, Fox opened his eyes, and his jaw almost dropped. Krystal was wearing a blue, tight-fitting body suit that matched her fur almost perfectly. Since it clung to her body, it showed of her attractive curves quite nicely. Fox thought it was like seeing her for the first time on Sauria; he was completely taken by her beauty.

Krystal tilted her head. "What's wrong Fox?" she asked. Fox shook himself and turned his gaze from her body to her eyes. "Nothing, just admiring how you look." He said, blushing slightly.

Krystal smiled at his shyness. "What is it that you needed help with?" Fox asked. "There's a zipper in the back that I can't pull up fully." Krystal answered. She turned around and indicated a zipper running from the base of her spine to the nape of her neck. It looked about halfway done up.

Fox took hold of the zipper and pulled it up. "There" he said once he was done. "Thanks, Fox." Krystal said. She looked at herself in the mirror. "Y'know, I've never experimented with my appearance before, so I'm not a good judge. What do you think, Fox?" she asked. "I think that looks great on you." Fox said. _'That's one hell of an understatement, she's gorgeous,'_ he thought. "Okay. I think I'll get this." Krystal said.

Fox reluctantly left the changing room to give Krystal her privacy, then she changed back into the clothes she had on earlier. Once she had purchased the suit, the two vulpine dashed back to the café.

The two foxes scurried through the doors of the café just as the clock was striking 2:00. They saw Falco and the others sitting at the same table they had breakfast at. Katt waved over to them.

Fox and Krystal walked over and greeted the others. "So, how was your morning?" Fox asked to everyone. Peppy was the first to answer. "The museum was interesting for me, but the rest of you would probably not have like it. There was an exhibit on famous mercenary teams in the military history wing. There were a few things about us in there." "Cool." Fox mused.

Slippy spoke next. "Well, I looked at a few new developments for tanks and found a way to greatly enhance the speed, maneuverability and firepower of the Landmaster." "Thanks, Slippy," Fox said. "No problem. I enjoyed it." Slippy replied. Falco rolled his eyes and Katt giggled at that.

Slippy heard Katt and he turned around. "What?" he asked. "It is beyond my comprehension-" "That's not saying much." Fox remarked under his breath. Normally, he didn't make snide remarks, but he felt like tormenting Falco today. "What was that, fox-boy?" Falco demanded. "Oh nothing, nothing whatsoever." Fox replied with a grin. Falco growled at Fox. Katt put a paw on Falco's arm, drawing his gaze, and calmed the steamed bird with a smile. "As I was saying, it's beyond me how anyone can find the inner workings of anything to be remotely interesting." Falco said to Slippy. "Strange, you seem to find the inner workings of Katt to be worth your time." Fox said quietly.

"Alright, McCloud, THAT is _IT!_" Falco shouted as he tackled Fox and pinned him to the ground. Falco was forgetting, however, that, while he was the better pilot, Fox was much better at hand to hand combat. He easily escaped the pin and trapped Falco's head between his arms and pressed down on the back of Falco's knees with his feet.

Falco jerked and sputtered, but Fox kept a firm grim on the angry avian. "So, are you sorry for tackling me?" Fox asked, sounding like a teacher talking to a disobedient kindergartner. Before Falco could answer, Katt, who was quite ticked off at Fox, but not to the same extent as Falco, came up behind Fox and batted his head really hard with her fist. Fox fell over and Falco and Katt jumped him, binding his limbs together with the cord of a fire extinguisher that happened to be nearby.

"So, what should his punishment be?" Katt asked her feathered beau. Falco grinned evilly, thinking of thing that would embarrass Fox the most. "Okay, I thought of something." He whispered his idea to Katt, and she heartily agreed.

Fox definitely did not like the looks on his friends' faces. This was going to be bad. After conversing with Katt, Falco walked over to Fox, still lying on his stomach, all four, five if you count his tail, of his appendages tied up securely above his back. Falco knelt down next to Fox and whispered his idea.

The color drained from Fox's face as Falco continued speaking. "You've got to be kidding me." Fox said as Falco finished explaining "Nope, that's what you get for choking me and insulting me and my girlfriend." "Please, not that. Anything but THAT!" Fox begged.

Both Falco and Katt laughed at their leader's pathetic state. "Well, Fox, you can either do that or, chew your arms and legs off like a hopelessly trapped coyote. We'll give you some private time in the broom closet to think it over." Falco answered. He and Katt then lifted the vulpine and carried him around back and out of sight. A sudden 'thud' was heard when Falco and Katt tossed the bound vulpine into a closet.

The two came around front, satisfied grins on their faces. Krystal was completely lost. She had heard what Fox had said and would have found it offensive, had it been directed to her, but she thought this was overkill. "Did he really deserve that?" she asked the tall bird in front of her.

"Probably not, but torturing McCloud is fun, and I thought of the perfect punishment right on the spot." "What are you going to make him do, anyway?" Slippy piped up. "Oh, you'll find out soon enough." Katt said suspiciously. "Let's just say that choosing between the punishment Falco thought of and chewing your limbs off would be a tough decision."

(A/N: What kind of hellish punishment do Falco and Katt have planned? Why did Fox get himself into this situation? Why am I asking all these stupid questions?

Hope you enjoyed it. Simba out.)


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

"Crap, I really stuck my foot in it this time." Fox said to himself as he struggled against the rubber cord that Falco and Katt had tied him up with. "I really need to learn to keep my muzzle shut."

After a moment or two of trying to somehow free one of his limbs, Fox gave up the futile effort. "Okay, Falco's punishment is too embarrassing to put into words, but how else am I supposed to get out? Houdini would have a hard time escaping from this."

As the trapped vulpine tried desperately to free himself from within the darken broom closet, his friends were all sitting at a table. Falco and Katt looked at each other and nodded. The two got up and addressed the others. "Well, I think we've given McCloud ample time to decide his fate. You guys wait here." Falco said.

The feline and the avian walked to the closet and opened the doors. They saw Fox, still tightly bound, trying to free himself. He looked up at the two of them and his face went grim. Falco and Katt just smiled.

"Well Fox, what'll it be: the punishment, chewing your limbs off or staying here 'till you die?" Falco asked in a smug tone. "Falco, I'm going to kill you." Fox said. "Does that mean you take the punishment? Great!" Falco said. Fox nodded slowly.

Falco and Katt hoisted Fox off the ground and carried him around to the front. The laid him on the table and pulled his right arm out from the bind. "Okay McCloud. Now do it." Katt said, obviously enjoying Fox's discomfort. Fox looked around and found Slippy. "Slippy get over here for a moment." He said.

Slippy nervously got up from his seat and walked over to where Fox was lying. "Yeah, what is it, Fox?" Fox gestured for him to lean his head down. Slippy did so. In a lightning quick movement, Fox cupped the back of Slippy's head and pulled him into a quick kiss.

Fox and Slippy both recoiled instantly. Slippy sputtered, while Fox simply spat on the ground. Falco and Katt were rolling on the floor, laughing their heads off. Peppy was laughing quietly to himself, and Krystal was giggling.

Fox turned his attention to Falco. "Okay, Falco, I did it. Now get me the hell out of this!" Fox demanded. Once Falco had quieted his laughter, he walked over to where Fox was still lying. "Hold on a minute." Katt said just as Falco had reached Fox. "I think we need to make the most of this opportunity. Why don't we make Fox kiss Krystal as well?" Katt suggested. "I think that Fox would see that more as a gift from God than a punishment." Falco said. Katt chuckled at her boyfriend's response. He was right.

Krystal blushed and looked at the floor, but was smiling, and somewhat disappointed that Falco had rejected Katt's suggestion. Fox, on the other hand, looked angry enough to boil and egg on his head. "Falco" he growled. "Okay, okay, I'll get you out." Falco untied Fox. Fox got off the table and glared at Falco. Falco glared back. Katt giggled at the two boys and their childish antics.

Peppy stepped in before Fox and Falco got into another fight. "How 'bout we get some lunch? I'm hungry." The old hare suggested. "Yeah, okay." Fox relented. The others nodded. Slippy, who was still sore about the whole punishment thing, decided to voice his opinion. "Falco, why'd you make him kiss me? Is it really that bad of a punishment?" he asked. "Yes" Fox, Falco and Katt all replied simultaneously.

Slippy looked a little hurt by their answer, so Krystal gave him a friendly pat on the back and spoke to him, "Don't worry Slippy, I still think you're a good guy." She said with a smile. The frog smiled back at her.

Falco thought that this was a perfect chance to torment Fox once more. He leaned over to him and whispered in his ear. "Jealous of Slippy, are we?" he asked. Fox just growled back. Peppy just laughed, "Ah, to be young again." He mused to himself.

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(A/N: Poor Fox, he had to kiss Slippy and not Krystal. Poor Slippy, Fox kissed him. Poor Krystal, she didn't get to kiss Fox. Poor café owner, after a fight in his place, no one will want to come there and he'll go out of business. Looks like almost everyone ended up angry/disappointed/broke at the end of this chapter. Kinda depressing, eh? Don't worry, I like happy endings and the story will have one. Yes, I know that this chapter was short as crap, but the next ones will be longer, I swear.

'Till next time, Simba out)


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Once Fox had stifled his anger and everyone had finished their lunch, Krystal asked if she could see more of the city and if Fox could go with her. Fox's mood brightened and he happily agreed.

"What are the rest of you going to be doing?" Fox asked of his teammates. "Don't know," Falco answered. Slippy simply shrugged. "No idea." Peppy answered. "Well, we talked about going dancing later on, should we do that?" Katt asked. "Yeah, we should do that. Let's see, it's about 4 o'clock now, so we'll go around 7:00? Falco asked. "Sounds okay," Fox answered.

Krystal could barely contain her excitement. She had another three hours to look around the city, and she wanted to make use of every second. "Fox, can we go now?" she asked eagerly. Fox checked with the others, and then nodded. Krystal smiled, and then proceeded to grab Fox by the arm and walked out with him.

Fortunately for Fox, Krystal didn't want to try on any more clothes. Instead she wanted to take a walk along the beach near the city. Cerinia was a jungle planet, and there weren't any oceans, only rivers and small ponds. For what seemed like the hundredth time that day, Krystal was amazed. The ocean was magnificent. The sun was lazily hanging above the horizon, making the mountains across the sea shimmer in the distance.

Fox and Krystal walked along the surf. Both had removed their shoes and they were letting the cool waters soak their hind paws. It was a soothing and relaxing sensation. Eventually, the two came to a downed log lying parallel to the surf.

Fox sat down and Krystal seated herself beside him. The two looked out on the majestic landscape. "It's beautiful," she mused. "Yeah, it's nice." Fox agreed. He then got up and walked closer to the shore. He picked up a rock and skipped it across the water. It bounced several times before finally sinking below the surface.

Krystal's eyes widened upon seeing this. "How did you do that, Fox?" she asked. "It's easy. Just find a flat rock, and throw it like this." He demonstrated the proper form. It took Krystal a moment to find the right rock.

She walked over to Fox's right and cocked her arm back. She threw it, but released it late. It hit Fox in the forehead and bounced off. Krystal spun around and covered her muzzle with her paws. Fox was dazed from the contact. He closed his eyes and shook his head. "Fox, are you okay?" Krystal asked in distress. "Yeah, apart from a splitting headache, I feel fine." He said brining a paw up to where the rock had hit him.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to." She said in an apologetic tone. "It's alright." Fox said, still rubbing his head. Krystal ran over to within six inches of where Fox was standing and placed her paws upon Fox's cheeks and examined Fox's forehead, worry in her eyes. She brushed some of his head fur out of the way to get a better look. There was a decent sized bump on his head. Krystal frowned and turned her attention back to Fox's eyes.

Fox had been blushing the whole time, due to the proximity of Krystal's body and the fact that she was running her paws across his face. Krystal noticed this, now that she was focusing on his face and not his forehead.

She patted his cheek with her slender paw and smiled at his shyness. "You're sure you're okay?" she asked, still distressed about nailing him in the head. "Yeah, I'm fine." He replied.

In the distance, something, or rather, someone caught his attention. He squinted and looked over Krystal's left shoulder to get a better look. A smile crossed his face at what he saw.

Krystal turned around to get a better look at what Fox was smiling at. She saw Falco and Katt sitting on a bench on a grass-covered hill. Katt had her head leaned on Falco's shoulder and Falco had his head resting on Katt's and his wing was wrapped around her.

"You know, Falco always acted like a tough guy. When Katt got hurt, it was the first time that I ever saw him cry. I think it's good that he's with her. He seems so much happier now that she's around." Fox said. "Fox, if Falco missed Katt so much, why didn't he try and find her?" Krystal asked. "Well, probably because Falco didn't think she cared about him, and because he couldn't swallow his pride enough to look." Fox answered.

"Why is that?" Krystal asked. "It's Falco, who knows?" he replied. "Come on, let's give those two some privacy." Fox said with a slight smile. Krystal nodded and followed him back to the city.

Katt had fallen asleep on Falco's shoulder with a smile on her face. Falco was about to doze off as well, when his watch started to let out high pitched 'beep'. He sighed, remembering that he had to meet the others to go dancing. He gently shook Katt. She groaned slightly. "Come on Katt, we need to get going," Falco gently said. "Okay, I'm up," Katt said sleepily. She stood up, stretched her arms and yawned.

Falco watched her the whole time. From where she was standing, her head fur caught the light of the setting sun, making her face glow. She looked angelic. Katt noticed him gazing at her. "What?" she asked with a smile. "You," Falco replied dreamily. "What about me?" Katt asked. "You're beautiful," Falco said. Katt blushed. No one except for Falco had ever told her they thought she was beautiful.

She walked over and planted a soft kiss on the avian's beak. They smiled at each other and Falco stood up. "Shall we?" Falco questioned. Katt slipped her paw into Falco's talon. "Let's," she replied. The two walked off to meet the others.

The Star Fox team met at a restaurant/dance hall Falco had picked out. It was a pleasant place with a restaurant section to the right, and a dance floor to the left. A DJ was playing different songs from a list marked 'Requests'. Fox and the others looked around to observe their surroundings.

"Hello, May I help you?" a cute border collie in her mid-twenties asked the team. She was obviously one of the waitresses. "Sure, can we get a table for six?" Fox asked. "Of course, sir. Right this way." The collie directed them to a round table in the corner of the restaurant. They seated themselves and ordered some drinks, and then dinner.

Once dinner was finished, Falco asked Katt to dance. She eagerly accepted and the two started slow dancing. Fox looked over at the two. Katt had her head on Falco's chest, her arms wrapped around his neck. Falco had his wings around Katt's waist. Both were smiling quite happily.

Then, Fox looked over at Krystal and imagined himself in Falco's place and Krystal in Katt's place. He smiled to himself; it was perfect. He then turned to the cerulean vixen next to him. "Hey, Krystal, would you like to dance with me?" he asked. Krystal smiled, and then answered, "Sure Fox. Let's go." Krystal and Fox stood up and walked over to the dance floor, near Falco and Katt.

Krystal took a brief look at Katt and Falco, observing how they were positioned, and then she put her arms around Fox's neck. Fox put his paws on her waist, and the two started dancing.

To Fox, it was great. He'd only danced with Fara once, and this was much better. To Krystal, it was perfect. She'd never danced before, except for some traditional Cerinian dances, but those were for one person, and this was much better.

Both vulpine loved feeling the other standing so close to them. Krystal slowly wrapped her tail around Fox's hip, making him blush. The two got closer, until Krystal's chest was flush with Fox's. She closed her eyes and leaned her head into his muscular chest. Fox stroked her hair with his paw.

Peppy looked on with silent amusement. It was then that he heard footsteps behind him. He turned to see Slippy walking away from the table. "Where ya headed, Slip?" he asked. The frog turned and answered. "If you think I'm gonna wait around for Fox and Falco to force me to dance, you're crazy," he said, and then left.

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(A/N: I come to you in my hour of need. I am in need of… an editor! Should anyone be crazy/stupid enough to want to apply for the job, need only submit their pen name and email where they can be reached to me. I hope to decide on an editor, should anyone apply, by my next update. I really need some help here. BTW, emails telling me to update faster are appreciated.

Simba out)


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

(Office of Colonel Eric Howitz, the following morning)

"Okay, let me get straight to the point," the gruff German shepherd said. "A factory used to produce Black Snake weapons and vehicles has been pinpointed to somewhere deep in the mountains, many miles beyond the base you recently captured. Your mission is to search out this factory." "Why not send a reconnaissance-equipped fighter or something?" Falco asked. "The blizzard that is currently in the area prevents our ships from conducting a proper search. You will have to go out on foot," he answered.

Fox's eyes widened. "You mean where supposed to find this place at the height of a blizzard?" he asked. "Yes" the colonel replied. "Once you have located the factory, contact Commander Grey with the coordinates and we will commence an attack using a cannon-equipped satellite that is currently orbiting at 100,000 metres above the planets surface."

Everyone was amazed by this. "You're gonna blast it from space?" Katt asked. "Yes. As I've already said, the snow and ice prevent us from conducting a traditional attack using fighters," Colonel Howitz answered, turning his attention to Katt. "Grey is to fly you to the edge of the mountain range. From there, you will disembark and continue on foot. The reason for this is because we believe that, since blizzards hit that area regularly and Black Snake is aware of this, they have adapted their radars to the wintry conditions. If you went on a dreadnought-class capital ship like the Great Fox, you'd be detected."

"How are we supposed to find this place in and endless maze of mountains?" Falco asked, sounding irritated. "The blizzard has been over the base for longer than it would naturally. It is possible that Black Snake is using a generator to keep the blizzard going. Of course, this makes the source of the blizzard the strongest, so where the centre of the storm is, that's where the base is," the colonel answered. "Good luck. You're dismissed," he finished.

Fox and the others left, not at all excited about their new mission. "You'd think that they'd send a specialized team on a mission like this," Falco commented. Fox just shrugged. "Is it just me, or does Colonel Howitz keep sending us on potentially very dangerous missions?" Krystal asked. "Well, we _are _a mercenary team. It is our job to do this kind of stuff," Falco answered. "Yeah, but that doesn't mean we enjoy it," Fox commented. "True, but we do get paid," Falco finished. Fox shrugged in agreement.

The jagged mountain sides made traveling even a few yards quite difficult. The team eventually sat down and ate lunch early in the afternoon. As far as they could tell, they were no closer to the base than they were hours ago. Clouds hung over the entire mountain range, and all the mountains were snowcapped, from being so high up, so they couldn't find any way other than to walk around and hope they found the source of the blizzard.

After several hours of searching, it became clear that this mission was going to be much more difficult than previously anticipated. The group decided to break for lunch. Falco had been carrying provisions for the team, and after they found a reasonably comfortable place to eat, settled down to lunch.

Everyone was frustrated with their apparent lack of progress, but it was Fox that took it the worst. He paced around angrily, trying to think of a plan. When nothing came to him, he vented his anger verbally. "Damn it, how are we supposed to find this friggin' base when we have absolutely no idea where it is?" Slippy, not wanting his friend angry, thought of a solution. "Hey Fox, I could try amplifying the reception on the communicators with the tools I have, and we could split into separate groups and cover more ground," he suggested. Fox turned to him, "Slippy, why didn't you do this in the first place?" he asked angrily.

"Well, I don't know how effective it will be, and if we lose the signal, we're screwed. Also, doing that uses a lot more power, and the battery could die at any time," Slippy answered nervously. Fox sighed. It wouldn't do any good to yell at his teammates. "Sorry Slippy, I'm just frustrated is all," Fox said. "It's okay. Falco shouts at me all the time any way," Slippy answered with a chuckle. Fox put on a fake half-smile. "Okay Slip, how long do you think it'll take for you to fix the communicators?" Fox asked. "About an hour," Slippy answered. "Okay," Fox sighed.

Slippy set to work adapting the wrist communicators, while the others waited. Peppy dozed off, and slept the entire time. Falco and Katt had a light-hearted conversation. Krystal was observing the mountains, which, when one wasn't trying to navigate them, were actually quite beautiful.

Fox, however, sat on one of the nearby rocks and stared at the ground. Sure, he'd had tough missions before, but, never with this lack of progress. They hadn't even located the blizzard yet.

Fox eventually got bored with sitting around, so he decided to go for a walk. "Hey, I'm gonna look around some more," he told the others. "Don't get lost," Krystal replied. "I'll be fine," he assured her.

Fox had been walking for about half an hour and had still found nothing. The mountains spanned for hundreds of miles in every direction. "You'd think a blizzard would be easy to find," he grumble to himself. As if on cue, he felt a cold drop on his head. He looked up to see dozens of tiny snowflakes slowly floating down from the dark sky.

Fox smiled to himself. This was the edge of the storm.

After telling the others of his discovery, Slippy had finished adapting the communicators, and the teams split into groups. As always, it was Fox and Krystal, Falco and Katt, and Slippy and Peppy. Fox led them back to the edge of the storm, and they split up.

The area they were in was basically a giant valley, at least 300 metres high and twice that length across. The base was littered with jagged rocks, and, just like the rest of the mountains, was completely devoid of life. Falco and Katt had gone up one side, Fox and Krystal another, but Slippy and Peppy took the centre. They were to fan out and contact the others if they found anything.

They started their trek, and slowly spread out to cover the vast distance between them and the base. Fox and Krystal had a hard time of climbing up the rock wall. The hazardous rocks and the steadily increasing snowfall made the task even more dangerous. More than once, Krystal slipped and almost fell, but, every time, Fox caught her.

After two hours of climbing, they reached something of a path along the side of the mountain. Fox looked back down the mountain side and sighed after the exertion of climbing. "Whew, that one was hell of a climb. We're pretty high up," Fox said. Krystal, not being as strong as Fox, though by no means weak, was quite winded. "Yeah… that was… really tough," she said in between pants. Fox gave her a weary smile and Krystal returned it.

Fox diverted his gaze from down the steep climb he and Krystal had just braved to the valley floor. Fox could clearly see Slippy's green form scampering along. He searched for Peppy, and soon found him. His grey fur made him harder to spot, but they both seemed fine. He looked across valley to the other mountain, and saw a tiny speck of blue, which was Falco, and another dot of pink, Katt.

Suddenly, the metallic communicator on Fox's arm buzzed to life, and Slippy's face was clearly displayed on the screen. "Hiya Fox, you gettin' this?" the green amphibian asked. "Yep. It works just fine," the vulpine answered. "Okay. I'll check to make sure that Falco and Katt's coms work as well." The amphibian's face disappeared as the screen shut off.

When Fox had turned off his communicator, he turned back to Krystal. The pair continued trudging along until they reached fissure. Fox peered over the edge into its never-ending depths. Fox shook his head. "Well, it's too far to walk around, so I guess we'll have to jump," he said. Krystal spun around in shock at her companion. "What?" she asked. Fox pointed at a ledge some fifteen metres to the left of them. The outcropping cut the distance they had to jump to three metres.

The two made their way to the cliff. They would have a running start, but it was still a long jump. Krystal looked off the edge and gulped. Fox put a comforting paw on her shoulder. She looked at him and he smiled. "I'll go first," Fox said. He took a few steps backwards, prepping himself for the jump. Then, he ran as fast as he could and leapt into the air. He looked down at the abyss below him as he soared.

He landed, both paws firmly on the ground. He checked himself, out of habit, and turned back to Krystal. She smiled at him and he at her. Fox then backed up a bit, giving Krystal ample room to land. Unfortunately, he didn't notice that his landing had severely cracked the underside of the rock. Krystal then backed up and dashed forward, as Fox had done. Fox held his breath as she jumped.

Krystal's paws hit the cliff a few inches back from where Fox's had. Fox released the air he had been holding when he saw her land. However, his relief didn't last long. Suddenly, a sickening crack rang out. The two looked around franticly for the source of the sound, only to find that it came from the cliff Krystal was standing on. Krystal screamed as the cliff gave way. Fox dove forward and grabbed her paw, leaving her suspended in mid air.

Fox strained to keep her up. His arm was digging into the sharp rock face, cutting into his skin and causing blood to flow. He could feel his grip slipping, Krystal's paw coming free of his. Krystal looked up at him with eyes filled with terror. She knew that Fox couldn't hold on any longer.

Finally, Krystal's paw slipped free of his own and she fell. "Krystal!" Fox cried as the beautiful vixen fell. Krystal simply screamed as she plunged to her death in the never-ending darkness.

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(A/N: (Readers gasp and glare at author, currently backed up in the corner of the room) Me: Please, don't hate me! I would never kill off Krystal. She'll be back! I swear! Have mercy! (Author breaks for the door as the readers give chase, armed with pitchforks Simba out.)


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Fox rolled over onto his back, a decent sized gash on his arm and tears streaming down his muzzle. It had all happened so fast; one minute, Krystal was standing right in front of him, the next, she was falling into everlasting darkness. That was it. She was gone. Just like that. All his hopes, dreams and fantasies were gone in the blink of an eye.

Fox couldn't believe it. Krystal was really gone. Fox felt a new level of despair envelop him. He remembered the moment when Krystal had looked up at him, just before she fell. The look that she gave him, a look of panic, was burned into his mind. Fox could already tell it would haunt him for the rest of his life. Fox cried more bitterly as he thought back to when Krystal joined his team, the waves of joy he felt as she grew closer to him, how he had looked into her eyes after recovering from the shot in the back, and of how it was all ripped away in an instant.

It was more than Fox could take. He felt like dying. For a brief second, he contemplated rolling off the side of the cliff after Krystal, but instantly silenced that thinking. He just cried.

Pain; that's what Krystal felt when she awoke. The last thing that she remembered was descending into darkness, looking up at the face of Fox, the one she loved, and the one she would never see again.

It was a miracle that she survived the fall. She shouldn't be alive, but she was. However, she was not unharmed. When Krystal tried to stand, a shot of pain rippled through her leg and she collapsed with a cry of pain. Her leg had been broken when she landed.

"Well, I guess that's it then," Krystal said to herself. There was no way she could climb back up, and Fox didn't have any rope. Krystal didn't carry a communicator, for which she now cursed herself. She lay down on the cold ground, knowing she would soon be dead. Krystal closed her eyes and hoped that she would mercifully drift off to sleep. However, when her head was pressed to the ground, she heard a low, resounding pulse, followed by another.

Krystal quickly raised her head from the ground and looked in the direction of the pulse. But all she could see was darkness. So, slowly, painfully, she hobbled through the darkness.

(Falco and Katt)

Falco sighed in frustration as he looked over at his pink girlfriend, who was currently observing the mountains, trying to find any hint of the base. Katt shook her head and turned back to Falco. Falco opened his beak to say something, but the beeping of his communicator cut him off.

Falco opened the channel and the face of Slippy Toad appeared. "Hi Falco, you'll never guess what I found." "What?" Falco asked hopefully. "Well, I tracked the wind patterns and mapped out where the base should be, but the heat signature readings only display minute only show limited findings-" "Get to the point," Falco interrupted. "The base is underground," Slippy replied. "Just great," Falco sighed. "Actually, this is good," Slippy commented. "How so?" Katt asked. "Well, this area of the planet's crust is particularly thin, so Black Snake is probably using the magma to power their facility. Now, the pumps that are used to transfer power let out a low pulse in the ground. So, all we have to do is follow these vibrations, and we'll find the base," Slippy answered.

"Awesome, so do we meet up with you or what?" Falco asked. "Yes, I'll send you my coordinates and we'll continue from there," Slippy answered. "Great, see you soon," Falco said, and then turned off the communicator.

Falco smiled at Katt and vice-versa, and they started out to find Slippy.

Slippy finished conversing with Falco and turned off his communicator. "You sure this will work, Slip?" Peppy asked.

"Of course I'm sure. Oh, better contact Fox," The little toad thought.

He tried to contact Fox, but all he got was static. "Damn, I knew this would happen," Slippy remarked to himself. "Well, once the base is down, the blizzard will stop and we'll be able to contact him.

(Fox)

Fox eventually got to the point where he could cry no more. But that didn't mean he was devastated. He picked himself off the ground, and felt a sudden jolt of pain, from the gash on his arm. Fox sighed. He didn't care what happened to him anymore. Krystal was gone, and she was never coming back. So, without any reason, Fox walked along the side of the fissure. He'd lost the will to keep fighting, and it made him feel empty. He didn't speak to himself, as he sometimes did, he didn't try to contact Slippy; he just walked.

(Krystal)

About 50 metres below Fox's boots, Krystal was making her best effort to feel her way along the dark passage way. Occasionally, she would press her head to the rock wall and listen for a pulse. At first, it was just the same low thud that she had first heard, but as she continued along, she could hear many tiny vibrations in between the beats of the louder thump. "Well, I'm getting closer to something," the cerulean vixen said to herself.

She continued to trudge along, until she saw a dim orange glow at what she perceived to be the end of the passage. She drew closer and found that the fissure gave way to a massive cavern, connected via a tunnel to another great cavern, and probably more. The room was void of any life, but a towering machine took up most of the space. "So, that's what it was," Krystal said to herself. The vibrations were coming from this generator.

Due to her broken leg, Krystal had to keep to the walls of the cavern for support. Once she had gotten to the tunnel on the other side of the room, she observed that the tunnel forked off to the left and right. There was no sign telling tunnel led to what, so Krystal just took the left.

Krystal only had to go a short distance before she found another generator identical to the one she found earlier. This room, however, had no other exit, so Krystal turned around and started back down the passage way.

She had gotten about halfway down, when she heard another set of footsteps in front of her. She looked up to see a slim, nervous-looking lemur, gazing at a clipboard, walking directly at her. He was muttering to himself incoherently.

Krystal panicked. She looked around franticly for some kind of cover. She ducked into a rock alcove in the wall and held her breath.

The lemur continued to mutter to himself, milling over what sounded like statistics. Krystal felt sweat starting to form on her brow and drip down her head as he grew closer and closer.

He was now close enough that she could hear what he was saying. "Power output from Generator 7 is down 12 and Generator 8 is down 9. Gotta divert more magma flow to Section 4," he said to himself.

He walked right in front of where she was hiding. She could feel her heart just about stop in her chest as he passed in front of her.

However, he didn't see her. He just kept walking and talking to himself. Slowly, she limped out of the alcove and started down the passage again. She started to breath again as she kept walking, still careful to keep quite. She could see the end of the passage, and turned around to see the lemur still walking.

She was just about out when her foot caught on a rock. She tumbled to the ground with a cry of pain.

The lemur whipped his head around. "Hey, you!" he cried. He pulled out a stun gun and fired. Krystal's vision went black.

Krystal groaned. Her head felt awful. She opened her eyes, and found that she was in a dimly lit cell. When she tried to stand up, a familiar shot of pain coursed through her leg, reminding her that it was broken. She collapsed on the ground, massaging her aching leg. She looked once more around her surroundings, getting a better look now that her eyes had adjusted to the low-level light. She was in an old fashioned iron bar cell, carved into the rock. Krystal sighed, tired, frightened, and feeling very, very alone. Or so she thought.

"So, you got yourself stuck her too, eh?" a mysterious voice spoke from behind Krystal. The blue vixen whipped her head around to see a familiar fennec sitting in the corner.

It was Fara. (A/N: Betcha didn't see that coming)

However, she didn't look the same as before; her fur and clothes looked much dirtier, and she looked thinner. Clearly she'd been here for quite some time. Krystal gaped. What the hell was Fara doing here? "How'd you get here, blue girl?" Krystal proceeded to explain the whole mission, and asked Fara the same question. "I came out here looking for Fox. I found the proper entrance into this base, thinking that Fox would be here, and got myself caught," the fennec said.

A brief moment of silence passed.

Krystal's ears perked up as she heard footsteps coming down the hall. She turned to see who it was. Her eyes widened when she saw who it was.

It was the tiger that had almost raped her outside the Avaya Grill. (A/N: Didn't see that coming either) "You!" Krystal shouted her voice a mix of fear, anger and surprise. The tiger, who had not recognized Krystal right away, turned and grinned lustfully at her.

"Hey, baby. Miss me?" he said.

"You're with Black Snake?" she asked. The tiger chuckled and pulled back his sleeve, revealing a tattoo of a black snake, running from his wrist to his forearm.

"Son of its leader, in fact," he said with pride.

Krystal gaped. "What were you doing in the city?" she asked.

"I was sent out on a recon mission. However, it turned out to be a lot more …interesting than I expected," he said, looking over Krystal's body. The vixen shuddered in disgust, recalling the night in the city.

Fara, who was sufficiently confused by this sudden turn of events, interjected. "Who is this guy?" she asked of Krystal. However, her question went unanswered. Instead, Krystal glared menacingly at the tiger, while he grinned an evil grin.

Finally, the tiger started to speak, slowly and deliberately. "Now then, I think that you and I have a little business to conduct, that was so rudely interrupted last time," he said.

At that, Krystal's confidence and strength vanished. Her eyes widened as she realized what he meant. She shuffled back into the corner, knowing that it would do no good. The tiger reached into his pocket and produced a set of keys. He then proceeded to open the cell and walk in. By now, Krystal had huddled herself into the far corner of the cell.

Fara, who despite not knowing what they were talking about, stepped in. At first, she questioned herself as to why; this was the girl that had allegedly stolen the heart of her beloved Fox, and here she was, totally helpless. Why should she help her? She told herself that it was because she wanted Fox to be happy, no matter what. If it meant being with someone else, she could live with that, albeit, not as easily.

Both Krystal and the tiger looked at her with surprise as she stood up and got into a feeble fighting position. Krystal gaped, surprised, but not at all disappointed by Fara's turn of heart. The tiger, however, simply smirked at her futile effort.

He continued to walk towards Krystal, acting as if Fara wasn't even there. She ran at him, her fist raised. He sidestepped and punched her in the side, hard. She crumpled to the floor and the tiger continued walking to the frightened vixen in the corner.

Fara jumped back up and charged the tiger, her face now one of anger. He turned to her just before she hit him and punched her hard in the jaw, which drew a sickening crack. This time, she was thrown back into the wall, and collapsed in a heap in the opposite corner. She shook her head, feeling a trickle of blood from her jaw. The impact of the wall hurt her greatly. Normally, she would have been able to jump right back up, as she was fairly athletic herself, but in her weakened state, she could barely stand.

She looked up with pathetic eyes at the two others in the cell. Krystal looked over at her with eyes filled with fear. Fara was the only one that could possibly protect Krystal. The tiger didn't look at her. He continued to look greedily at Krystal, looking over her from head to toe.

He closed the gap between himself and Krystal with one final step. Krystal looked back up at him, completely terrified. She was sweating bullets.

For a moment, the tiger stopped. "Now, where were we?" he asked rhetorically. He quickly thrust his hand down and grabbed Krystal's shirt. She punched him across the face with all the strength she could muster, which wasn't much. He didn't even flinch

There was a rip as it fell to the ground. Krystal screamed. The tiger's evil grin widened as he saw her bare chest.

Fara looked away, her eyes closed. She couldn't watch Krystal be hurt by the tiger. But it did little to save her the sight. In her mind's eye, Fara could see the blue vixen being violently stripped of her clothes and the tiger pulling down his pants, then grabbing her by the hair and forcing her head between his legs, afterwards to be picked up, pushed into the wall. Then the tiger shoved his head into her chest, running his tongue across her front.

Once the tiger felt he was sufficiently turned on, he threw the battered vixen into the ground, grabbed her broken ankle, and forced it forward, which both flattened Krystal onto her stomach, and brought forth a cry of pain from the Cerinian.

"Keep screaming, bitch. It makes me want you more," the tiger said. He penetrated her, which caused Fara to shutter. Krystal was in more pain now that she ever had been before. She felt like her lower half was about to explode. She wished she were dead, and that this could all be over.

But that bastard wouldn't stop there. He pulled a knife from his pants, which lay behind him, and drew the blade across Krystal's back, bringing forth blood. His lustfulness increased, and he started to lose control of himself in a frenzy. He pounded his hips into Krystal harder and faster then before, till Krystal collapsed under his release, which flowed out onto the jail cell floor.

All the while, he was dragging the blade of the knife slowly and painfully across Krystal's blue fur, which soon became crimson with blood…

It was half an hour before the tiger stopped. Thinking it was finally safe to look, Fara turned. Her breath caught in her throat at what she saw.

Krystal, her clothes lying in shreds around the cell, had multiple cuts all over her body, some quite deep. Tears rolled down her face, mixing with the blood oozing from the wounds.

The tiger, now standing, holding the knife in his paw, looked over at Krystal and smiled. "That was fun… I think …that we should… do this again …sometime soon. Until then, baby, bye," he said, panting slightly. He then proceeded to open the door, exit, lock it again, and walk away as if nothing had happened.

Once his footsteps could no longer be heard, Fara crawled over to Krystal. When Fara reached out her arm and touched her arm, she flinched and whipped her head around, panting. She was obviously still in shock from her traumatic experience. Fara's eyes watered at the pathetic sight. Her cheeks were stained with tears, there was a cut on her cheek, but what struck Fara most were Krystal's eyes.

There was something missing, the shine that had been there was gone. She was robbed of her innocence, and that was something she could never recover.

Now, Fara cried. She took the vixen in her arms and cradled her body like a child. Krystal clung to the fennec, her only source of strength and support in this, her most painful hour.

Eventually, Krystal fell asleep, still holding on to Fara. Fara noticed this. She looked around at their dismal surroundings once more. "Please Fox, we need you," she said. Of course, there was no reply. Only the cruel silence of the cell.

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(A/N: So, was that better? Worse? Neither? I wanted to make it more descriptive, but without going overboard. A lot of people said the rape wasn't descriptive, and I didn't want it to be, but if I don't really say anything about it, then it's like it didn't happen, y'know? Well, if you don't, never mind. This was kinda a 'spur of the moment; stroke of genius/idiocy'. Hope it meets expectations!

Simba out


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

"Okay, Slippy, so where is the base?" Katt Monroe asked the green amphibian in front of her.

"Well, judging from the vibrations I'm getting, I'd say it's about half a mile east of here," the frog answered.

"So, let's get going," Peppy Hare said. With that, the four started off to the underground base.

The trek was difficult, as was all travel in the mountains, but it was made easier by the fact that they knew where they were going. "Slip, you're sure that this is the site of the base?" Falco asked.

"Beyond the shadow of a doubt," the frog replied. And so, they continued to climb, inching ever closer to their target.

Falco sighed as he reached the top of one of the lowest hills, where Slippy and Peppy were waiting. He turned and assisted Katt up. As he helped her to get her balance, Slippy spoke. "It's there," he said, pointing a webbed finger at the valley just below them. It didn't look too much different from the others, except for the fact that there was a slight bulge in the ground that didn't look natural. Falco sighed again as Slippy and Peppy started down the rocky hill.

Katt walked up behind him and put a paw around his waist. Falco turned to her and put a wing around her shoulder. She planted a kiss on the avian's cheek. "C'mon, Falco, we'll be there soon," she said. The two started down the hill after their companions, paw in talon.

When the two had reached the bottom, Peppy and Slippy were already searching for an entrance to the underground base amongst the rocks. The avian and feline joined them in the odd venture of tapping on suspicious looking rocks, trying to find a metallic door.

After about ten minutes, Falco's short patience had reached its end. "When we get back to base, I am gonna kill Howitz for all the shit he put us through on this mission," the bird said. Katt sympathized with his anger.

"I agree with you there, love," she said, the irritation at the gruff Colonel obvious in her voice.

Slippy's high-pitched voice cut off any further conversation. "Found it!" he shouted.

(A/N: Finally!)

The others rushed over to Slippy and his discovery. "Where is it?" Falco asked excitedly.

"Here," the amphibian proudly indicated what, at first sight, seemed to be just another rock, but upon further examination, was clearly a sliding door.

"Good job. Now, how do we open it?" Katt asked Slippy.

"Like this," Falco answered. She turned to him, a questioning look on her face. When she turned, she saw Falco grab the door and yank it open with a groan. Falco shoved the door back with a grunt and it latched.

The now opened door revealed a set of stairs that led down into the heart of the planet. "Well, let's get going," Falco said with a cocky smirk. The tunnel was only wide enough for them to go in one at a time. Slippy entered first, followed by Peppy. As Katt passed through the door, Falco pinched her behind. Katt gave a yelp and whipped around to see Falco grinning smugly.

"What can I say, you have a really nice ass," the avian said matter-of-factly.

A now bristling, but flattered, Katt put a finger right on his beak and spoke. "You are very lucky that I love you, or else I'd kick your sorry butt right now," the feline said. "I think I'm very lucky, too," the avian replied.

Katt smiled and put an arm around his neck and kissed him soundly. "Yeah, I think I'll keep you," she said.

"Hey, you can get it on later, when were _not _in the middle of nowhere trying fight a civil war," Peppy's voice echoed up the stairs. Falco and Katt blushed a bit, but started down the stairs to where the hare and frog were waiting. Once they had caught up, they began walking again down the stairs.

The light in the tunnel dimmed as they got deeper and deeper into the earth. Eventually, the passage was completely black. Even Katt, who, being feline, had excellent night vision, couldn't see a thing. She was surprised to find herself a little afraid. She was used to being completely aware of her surroundings, and this new sense of ambiguity frightened her.

Despite her inability to see, she could hear perfectly. Most prominently, she heard the footsteps of her companions in front of her. She also detected what she perceived to be insects, but she couldn't tell for sure.

Suddenly, there was a loud explosion. It shook the entire mountain down to its foundations and rocks fell from the ceiling. Katt stumbled and fell. She heard a rock detach from the ceiling and fall straight for her head. However, just before the rock smashed into her head, a pair of strong arms, or rather wings pulled her out of the way just before the rock hit her. Katt's screaming stopped, as she held onto Falco for dear life.

"Katt, are you okay?" he asked, his voice panicky.

"I'm okay Falco," she said, relief in her voice. Had the rock hit her head, she would most definitely have died. She took solace in Falco's embrace. The lovers stood together for another brief moment, Katt still recovering from her brush with danger. Falco made sure she was steady on her feet before turning his head around.

"Hey, you guys okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, we're good," Peppy replied.

Falco nodded to himself and turned back to Katt, who was still shaking ever so slightly in his arms. "You sure you're good?" he asked, sounding concerned.

"Yeah, I'm okay, Falco, you don't have to worry," she said, with more confidence than before.

Falco blushed the tiniest bit, and then spoke. "Sorry Katt. I lost you before," thinking of their nasty breakup, and how they were separated for eight years, "and I don't want lose you again," he said.

He turned around, so he was facing down the passage, standing right beside Katt. The four started to run down the passage, wanting to find the source of the explosion. Katt took a step and stumbled, her legs giving out. They weren't broken or anything, but the recent adrenaline rush aftermath was taking effect. Falco turned caught her and helped her up. "I thought you said you were okay. What gives?" he asked, still worried.

"I don't know. My legs just…" Her voice trailed off. She didn't know herself.

So, without any shame whatsoever, Falco knelt down and felt Katt's shapely legs from ankle to thigh. They were shaking like mad. Falco then picked her up in his wings and pressed her body to his chest. Katt, while slightly aroused by Falco rubbing her legs, smiled inwardly at the sense of security she felt being held by Falco. There was another explosion, not as bad as the first, but still enough to shake rocks from their holding places and they started to fall around them.

Katt let out another scream and buried her head into Falco's strong chest. "Come on Falco!" Slippy yelled.

Falco heard the toad and hare's footfalls as they raced further down the seemingly endless tunnel. "Hold on," Falco said. Katt gave an unseen nod and gripped Falco tightly and hugged her head farther into Falco's chest.

The avian then began to run.

Krystal was awakened by the booming rumble of an explosion. She sat up to find herself in the arms of Fara. It took her a moment to get her bearings, but once she did, she realized she still had no clothes on, due to her 'encounter' with the tiger. She shuddered at remembering that monster. Then, a thought entered her mind.

_How would she tell Fox? _

Once he'd found out she'd been raped, he'd want nothing to do with her. She couldn't blame him; most rape victims were shunned. Her eyes watered at the thought. _"If only I'd told him how I felt. Then we might be together." _The tears ran down her face. She was so close to admitting her love for the vulpine of her dreams, but now, her chance was gone.

Her melancholy thoughts were interrupted by the rapid footfalls of guards running in front of the cell. She could here snippets of what they were saying. "What the hell happened?" one asked. "One of the magma derricks exploded, dumb ass!" another yelled back.

One of the guards noticed Krystal lying naked on the ground. "Hey, that's one hell of a vixen. Forget about the magma derrick, let's have some fun," Krystal's eyes went wide. After being attacked last time, she had no energy to even crawl to the other side of the cell to avoid more attackers.

Fortunately for her, one of the higher ranking guards happened to walk by. "Hey, get your asses down to the engineering level now!" he shouted. The others, who obviously were afraid of this particular guard, started running down the hall again.

Krystal breathed a sigh of relief. She couldn't stand to be raped again. It was then that she noticed Fara. She had fallen asleep. Krystal gently shook her awake. Fara shook herself and rose. She immediately noticed that Krystal was still without any clothes. "Krystal, you need to get your clothes back on," she said, "it's cold in here."

Krystal blushed. She'd forgotten that she didn't have any clothes on. Her broken leg limited her mobility to a crawl, so it took a while for her to get to the side of the cell where here clothes lay.

She still had her vest on, and her shirt was only ripped in the back. She tied it around her chest, covering her adequately. It was her shorts and panties that were the problem; they weren't ripped, but since Krystal's leg was broken, it was quite a challenge to even move her leg without it searing with pain.

However, she eventually got her panties and shorts on. Nevertheless, she was still cold. She zipped up her vest, but she couldn't escape the biting chill that inhabited the cell. Fara was wearing long pants, a long sleeved shirt and a jacket, so she was fine.

Krystal shivered in the corner of the cell, trying to stay as warm as possible. Fara took pity on her. It was then that something struck her for the first time. Fara realized how young Krystal was. Fox had mentioned that she was about 20. At the time, that meant nothing to Fara. She was blinded by the rumors that Krystal and Fox were having an affair. Now, she realized just how young 20 years old really was. Most 20 year olds in Corneria were most concerned with passing college and finding a date for the next big party. Here was Krystal, the same age, on the most famous mercenary team in Lylat, interplanetary celebrity and the apple of Fox McCloud's eye, ergo the envy of nearly every woman in the galaxy, including Fara herself. It still amazed her.

Fara got up and pulled off her jacket. Krystal looked over at her, curious. Fara walked over to where Krystal was sitting and wrapped her jacket around her. Fara then sat next to her.

"Why are you doing this?" Krystal asked. Fara turned to the cerulean vixen.

"I'm helping you because I love Fox," she answered. Krystal cocked her head to the side, still curious. Fara sighed; this was not going to be easy. "Krystal, you and I both know that Fox is in love with you," here, Krystal blushed, "and I can tell you have feelings for him as well", Krystal blushed even harder, "Now, as you know, I care for Fox. Scratch that, _deeply _care for him. But I can tell that he has eyes only for you. While this is a very painful fact for me, I would rather Fox be happy with you than have to settle with me. I'm helping you because I know it will make him happy," Fara finished.

"Thank you very much," Krystal replied. Fara sighed. She had just admitted that Fox didn't love her as anything more than a friend. It hurt her terribly. But then again, life would go on, and she was still young. Perhaps she would find someone else. (A/N: Hi, it's me again. Sorry to interrupt, but for those of you who are sorry for Fara, don't worry. Should there be a sequel, she'll find someone, an OC of mine to be precise. Everyone needs a happy ending, don't ya think? Anyway, enough of my gab. Back to the Fic!)

The jacket felt warm around Krystal's body. Slowly, she began to warm up. Once she'd stopped shivering, she looked at Fara. "So, any brilliant ideas for a great escape?" she asked with a smile. Fara smiled and shock her head. Even in this, the bleakest of circumstances, Krystal was still cheerful.

(Falco, Katt and others)

Falco had been sprinting for quite a while, and his legs were getting tired. Not to mention his arms. Fortunately, Katt was very fit, so she didn't way much, but carrying a full grown feline would tire anybody out. And yet, he liked the familiar feeling of her body pressed against his. The only difference was that this time, they had their clothes on. Falco smiled to himself as he recalled that pleasant memory, but was brought out of it as he felt his arms ach more.

Then, he saw a dim glow at the end of the tunnel. He ran faster, invigorated by the end of the darkness. When he finally reached the end of the tunnel, he found himself in a giant cavern that branched off into what Falco could only guess were other caverns, equally as big. He then remembered Peppy and Slippy. He looked around and found them hiding in an alcove. Falco looked down at Katt, now able to see her again. "Uh, Falco, I can walk just fine now," she said. "Oh, I like carrying you around," Falco said with a boyish pout. Katt giggled at Falco's antics. Gently, Falco let Katt down.

The two were about to start off after Peppy and Slippy, when an arm grabbed Falco and yanked him aside. It was Peppy. He and Slippy were hiding in a crack in the wall.

Falco opened his beak to speak, but Peppy clamped it shut before he could say anything. "Shut up and keep quiet, or the guards will hear you," he said in a harsh whisper. "What guards?" he asked. Suddenly, someone shouted out "Intruders!" he yelled.

Peppy looked angrily at Falco. "Those guards," he said. A blast from a gun smashed a few inches from Falco's head, causing them all to flinch. "I suggest we run," Katt said. So, they started running again, down one of the many interconnecting tunnels of the underground base.

"Okay, now what do we do?" Slippy said between pants. "We've got to get away from these guards before they hit us," Falco replied. He was right. Everyone was already tired from running down the dark tunnel, and they wouldn't be able to keep this up much longer. They had to loose them fast.

Unfortunately, there weren't any places to hide. The base was too complex and too large. "Any ideas?" Slippy shouted over the gunfire.

"There's nowhere to hide. We'll have to make a stand and fight them off," Falco answered in a matter-of-fact tone.

"You joking? There's at least fifteen of them and four of us. We'll get massacred!" Peppy shouted.

"It's better than pointlessly running, waiting for them to get lucky. Falco's right," Katt said.

They ran into a relatively small cavern that must've been used as a storage room and that had no exit and turned to the approaching guards and drew their blasters, ready for what would probably be their last fight. Falco and Katt lay flat on their stomachs, using a long, metal crate for a shield. Peppy and Slippy ducked behind a stack of crates on the other side. They started firing at the oncoming guards.

Due to the small size of the room they were in, the guards were forced into something of a column, standing three or four across. This made it easier for Falco, Katt and the others to kill them, but they had grossly underestimated their numbers. There were at least a hundred of them.

Fortunately, the shots didn't penetrate through the crates they were hiding behind, allowing them cover, but still, it wouldn't be long before they guards overwhelmed them by sheer force of numbers.

Falco's gun went dry and he had to duck down to switch cartridges. He then got an idea. He grabbed Katt by the shoulder and pulled her down. "Katt, give me your gun. I have a plan," Katt nodded and handed him the blaster.

She looked on in curiosity as he opened up the bodies of both guns, revealing the inner workings. Falco smiled to himself at his own idea. It was a trick he'd learned while away from the Star Fox team. It was a crude method of converting a semi-automatic weapon into an automatic one, using a pin. He pulled a pin from his jacket and looked for the proper place to insert it. He found the position and placed it in the gun. He did the same for the other weapon.

Once he was finished, he closed up the bodies of the guns, and smiled at his handiwork.

"What the hell are you doing, Falco?" Slippy shouted from across the room. Falco chanced a look up. More guards had entered the area since the fire had let up. They were barely 5 metres from where he was standing.

He didn't wait to act. He jumped up to his full height and started firing at full auto. The sudden burst of fire surprised the guards, who were focusing only on Slippy and Peppy. They all momentarily lost interest in the others and started firing at Falco. He ducked as laser bolts tore through the air above him and started to crawl to the other side of the room.

This distraction was all Peppy and Slippy needed. They shot off as many rounds as they could into the body of guards, racking up an impressive number of kills before being forced to hide behind their protective crates.

It was simple, but effective. The guards started to back off and Falco could see their numbers were decreasing. Emboldened by this turn of events, he stood up from his hiding place, aimed his guns, and held down the trigger. The stream of energy ripped into those unfortunate enough to be in the front, cutting them down where they stood.

Falco knew that he would wipe them out in a matter of seconds. Slippy and Peppy started firing as well. He could see that there were only about ten left. He smiled. This was it!

Suddenly, the guns clicked and no more blasts came out. They were out of ammo. Falco ducked down and hurriedly searched for more cartridges. He had none left. Neither did Katt. He looked over at his companions. They were out as well.

He dropped to the ground. Even though there couldn't be more than five or ten guards, they were still armed. They stood no chance. They obviously weren't bright, if such a simple tactic had worked on them earlier, but they weren't dumb enough to get close enough to Falco for him to snatch one of the guns.

He cursed Howitz for sending them on this suicide mission. They should have called for backup the moment they found the tunnel.

Falco could hear the footsteps of the guards as they got nearer to where he hid. Katt whimpered and grabbed Falco. He put a protective wing around her and closed his eyes, waiting for the end.

He heard the guards getting closer and closer. He just hoped it would be quick and painless. He didn't want Katt to suffer.

The menacing footfalls stopped and the one of the soldiers shouted something in a language Falco couldn't understand. He heard the guards turn around and run away. Tentatively, Falco opened his eyes and chanced a peek over the crate. The room was deserted, barring himself and the others.

_Why didn't they shoot us? More importantly, what were they yelling about? _He thought to himself. He stood up slowly and walked forward a bit, still cautious. The others had also come out of their hiding spots.

"The hell was that about?" Peppy asked. "Don't know," Falco answered. "Well, whatever it was, let's go before another group of guards finds us," Katt finished the conversation. They started walking towards the exit, Falco in the lead.

Just before Falco entered the hallway, Katt's sensitive ears picked up something. She grabbed Falco and pulled him back, just as a river of lava rolled in front of him. Had he taken another step, his foot would have been melted.

"So, this was what they were yelling about," Slippy said.

"Guess so. How do we get around it? The lava's covering the passage floor. We're trapped," Katt asked. This was a problem. Falco carefully examined the walls of the tunnel before thinking of an idea.

"I've got a plan," he said.

The others looked at him curiously. Falco took a few steps backwards, before running full force towards the river, and jumping into the air. He hit the opposite wall and held on for dear life, quite literally. If he fell, there was no way he'd survive. The others looked on in worry, especially Katt.

Falco's grip slipped a little and he slid down the wall a few inches. He doubled his grip on the rough rock and stopped himself from falling. Then, he reached out with his wing and grabbed a rock jutting out from the wall and started moving up the passageway.

Katt was very worried about Falco. Avians weren't adapted to rock climbing. Then again, felines weren't exactly climbing experts either, but she would stand a much better chance of surviving than Falco. She backed up and dashed forward, just as Falco had done. She jumped and clung to the wall. Her sharp claws dug into the rock bedding, providing a secure grip.

She started moving up the wall after Falco. "Hey, what about us?" Slippy shouted. "We'll find a way to stop the lava flow. Just sit tight for a while. Well have you out soon," she answered, careful to keep a firm grip on the wall.

She followed the avian farther up the wall. She could here the scraping of talons against rock getting closer. He was obviously having some difficulty. Soon after, she saw Falco hanging onto the wall. He turned to face her. "Katt, what are you doing? It's dangerous!" he said.

Katt smiled at Falco's concern for her safety. "Don't worry. I'll be fine. Besides, you should be more worried about yourself. You sure you're alright?" she asked.

"Oh yeah, I'm good," he strained to say. In truth, the heat was getting to him. He'd moved up vertically the wall a bit to escape being cooked, but he was still very uncomfortable.

There was another problem Falco hadn't anticipated. His arms were starting to go numb from the exertion. Katt didn't have that problem, or at least it wasn't as much of a problem because her claws kept her attached to the wall. If he didn't reach the end of the tunnel soon, he would fall off and die.

He doubled his pace, Katt following with relative ease. The sweat from Falco's brow was starting to get into his eyes, blurring his vision. He could hold on for another 30 seconds, maybe. The strain he felt on his wings was incredible. He could make out what he thought was the end. He was 3 metres away.

He pulled with all the strength he had left. In a final effort, he threw himself forward, letting go of the wall. He hit the ground in a roll and lay there for a moment, panting, his wings burning from the recent exertion.

A moment later, Katt had managed to reach the end of the tunnel and had detached from the wall. By now, Falco had gotten to his feet and was ready to go. "You okay?" Katt asked. "My arms feel like they're ready to fall of, but other than that I'm good," Falco answered. He wiped the sweat from his eyes and got a better look at his surroundings.

He saw that the source of the lava flow was a large machine built into the wall, or at least, that's what it _was. _Most of it was gone, and lava was flowing out of it, in front of where he and Katt were standing. "Guess that was the explosion was," Katt said. "C'mon, we've got to stop the lava," Falco said. "How? If there was a pump, it's gone now," Katt answered. "We don't need to use the pump. I've got an idea," he said. "Again with the ideas. It better not be anything stupid," She answered. "It's me, why are you worried?" the bird said with a sly smile. "It's you, that's why I'm worried," she answered.

Falco walked to the machine. A large chunk of metal was still attached to the side. Falco pushed the metal as hard he could. The metal started to bend and block the river. Eventually, Falco had directed the lava flow away from the passageway. He grunted in exertion as he finished the job. "Strong work, Falco," Katt said.

"Thanks," he managed to say.

The two walked down the tunnel back to where the others were. Peppy and Slippy were still in the room where they'd left them. "Let's go," Falco said. The others weren't about to argue.

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Simba out


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Fox wrapped his vest tighter around him, trying to stay warm. Night had fallen, and with it had come the bone chilling cold. He needed to find shelter soon, or else chance freezing to death. _Not that it matters now_ he thought. Fox hung his head, thinking of Krystal. Tears started to form in his eyes again. He had nobody to blame but himself, his weakness.

Fox looked around, hoping to find a cave or other natural shelter he could use for the night. Finding nothing, he started walking again, this time keeping up a brisk pace to try and keep his body heat up.

Fox froze, his sensitive ears picking up something. He'd heard the faintest of pulses coming from deep beneath the rock. At first, he thought it was just his imagination, but when he heard it again, he knew he wasn't imagining things. He knelt down and put a paw to the ground.

To his surprise, it was warm, very warm. "The hell is that?" he asked himself. The ice was getting hotter by the second. Suddenly, the ice cracked and Fox fell screaming through the newly melted hole in the ice.

At first, Fox thought he was still falling, before he realized he'd dropped only a few feet. He looked around to see that he was on what appeared to be an underground ledge overlooking a tunnel.

"So, this must be the base," Fox said to himself. He moved to the edge of the cliff, and slowly climbed down, using his claws. He tentatively slid down the rock wall, until he reached the bottom. He hit the ground with a slight grunt. The vulpine looked around at the new settings. He saw multiple cells lining the walls. Little did he know, the one right behind him was occupied.

"Fox?"

Fox whipped his head around with incredible speed upon hearing the voice he never thought he would here again, hope exploding into his chest. Could it be possible?

It was Krystal. Fara was there as well, but she was asleep. Apparently, they were both sleeping, and Fox's landing had woken Krystal up.

Fox's jaw dropped at the sight of the vixen. She was lying in the far corner of the cell, multiple gashes coating her shapely body, her leg bent at an odd angle. "Oh my God! Krystal, what did they do to you?" he begged in a choked voice. Without waiting for an answer, he roughly grabbed the iron bar door and ripped it open, breaking the lock. He ran over to where Krystal was lying in the corner and knelt down beside her.

"Fox, when I fell, I broke my leg. I was caught trying to find a way out and thrown in this cell," Krystal said. Fox started to cry again. He'd never seen Krystal in this condition before. She always seemed so, perfect. And now, she sat in the darkness of an underground prison.

Fox gently wrapped his arms around her, wanting to keep her safe. "Krystal… I'm so sorry. I was weak. It's my fault you're hurt," he said, clearly on the verge of breaking down.

"Fox, it's alright. I'm okay," The blue vixen replied in a soft and gentle voice. She noticed the gash under his arm, and almost gasped in surprise.

"No, it's not okay," Fox continued. "I let you down. I failed, and you could've … you could've …died," Fox said, coming even more dangerously close to an emotional train wreck.

"Fox, there was nothing you could've done. I'll be okay," she said gently.

Fox wasn't convinced.

"But, how did you get all those cuts? If they hurt you…" Fox's sadness was replaced with rage at the thought of a group of thugs hurting his precious Krystal. But nothing could have prepared him for what she said.

Krystal looked down at the ground, ashamed. She would have to tell him. "Fox, do you remember that tiger that you saved me from outside of the restaurant a few days ago?" she asked in a voice that was almost a whisper.

"How could I forget that bastard?" Fox replied, anger in his voice.

"Well, he's here, in this base," she answered, "I saw him earlier, just after being thrown in this cell. He recognized me, and then… he…" Krystal couldn't finish, her eyes watering. She burst into hot tears and threw her arms around Fox. Slowly, she related each horrifying act the tiger had performed on her.

The vulpine's breath caught in his throat at each revelation of the brutal rape. To attack a woman in that way, let alone a defenseless one, was beyond atrocious. He started shaking with rage as Krystal finished her story of woe.

Fox drew back a balled fist slowly and smashed it full-force into the ground. Pain coursed through his arm. Tears started forming in his eyes. Fox McCloud was crying. And it wasn't because of any pain or loss of his own, per se. It was for Krystal, the vixen he loved. "Damn it," he said quietly, so quietly that only he could hear. "DAMN IT!" he screamed at the top of his lungs. The tears in his eyes had run their course, staining his fur. Why did it have to be her? Why couldn't that damn tiger just keep his pants on?

He turned back to Krystal. "Krystal, I promise, I won't ever let anyone hurt you again. Can you ever forgive me?" he asked, taking one of her paws in both of his. "Fox, I already have," she replied gently.

Once more, Fox put his arms around Krystal, careful not to hurt her injured leg. "I'll get you out of here and I'll kill that tiger if it's the last thing I do," Fox said, the latter part of the sentence spoken with venom. Krystal smiled at him once more. Fox then turned his attention to Fara, who was still sleeping. "How the hell did Fara get in here?" Fox asked.

"She came down here looking for you and got caught," Krystal answered. Fox felt a small wash of guilt over him. Fara was so devoted to him, but he didn't return her feelings. _Well, these things happen. _Fox thought. But he would _not_ leave Krystal, not now, not ever.

"We've got to get you two out of here," Fox said. He proceeded to reach over and gently shake the sleeping Fara. It took a moment, but she eventually came to.

"Fox, you found us!" she exclaimed upon seeing him, her face brightening.

"Yeah, but let's save the celebrations for later. Now, we need to get moving," Fox said.

The vulpine stood up, as did the fennec. Krystal tried to stand by putting her paws against the wall and using it for balance, but failed miserably, landing unceremoniously upon her rear end with a slight yip. She massaged the sore spot that would probably turn into a bruise, a dull pain emitting from it.

Then, she felt Fox's strong arms pick her gently of the hard stone floor and brought her body into his strong chest. Krystal was both surprised and overjoyed at being so close to Fox. She blushed a bit at having to be carried, like a child, but she still enjoyed the new sensation of his warm fur caressing her shoulders and legs.

But, Krystal's pleasure was Fara's pain. Fox had never held her like that before, though, Fox had never been around when she had a broken leg, either. _C'mon, Fara, it's over _she thought to herself. She would remain strong; that was what she had always done, how she had survived through the traumas she'd suffered, her parents' death, the friends she'd lost during the Lylat wars, now this. Life's tough. She'd have to be tough, too.

Fox broke off the two females thoughts. "C'mon, Fara, let's go," The vulpine said. He walked out of the gloomy cell, followed closely by Fara. Only after Fox had looked around, had he realized he had absolutely no idea where he was going. "Uh, I have no idea where we're going. What about you?" Fox asked Fara.

"Well, if I remember right, turning left is the engineering level, and right is the troop housing, but the only rout in or out is through the barracks," the fennec answered, straining her memory.

"Damn," Fox said under his breath. _Can't things ever be easy? _Fox thought to himself. "Well, are you sure there isn't a less risky way?" he asked.

"I don't know any other way," Fara answered.

"Okay. Well, let's go," Fox said in a resigned voice. So, the vulpine started down the bleak hallway, Krystal still held strongly but gently in his arms, followed by Fara.

"Face it, Slip, we're completely lost," Falco said, throwing up his wings in annoyance.

"Keep it down, Falco!" the frog said in a harsh whisper. Even Slippy, who was usually the most even tempered of the group, was starting to get annoyed. An hour of stealthily moving about the base had earned them nothing more than sore feet, several close calls, and frustration.

As for being lost, there seemed to be no signs, markings, or even any notable differences in the rock walls, for that matter. It was a wonder anyone could find their way around the system of caverns, even if they had spend months there. It was just too big, and too complex.

Falco gave an aggravated sigh, and smacked his head into the rock. "We're lost in this hellhole, Fox and Krystal are nowhere to be found, and now, my head hurts," the avian muttered. Katt smiled at Falco's humorous line.

Suddenly, the four companions heard someone coming around the corner. They still had no ammo for their blasters; so instead, Falco pressed himself against the wall, waiting to attack whoever turned the corner. He heard someone getting closer to the corner, and mentally prepped himself for the strike.

Then, he jumped out from his hiding spot with something of a battle cry, fists raised like a boxer, poised for the strike. Of course, he didn't expect that the person he was about to attack would be his friend and captain, Fox McCloud. And he definitely didn't expect him to be carrying Krystal in his arms.

"Fox! You're alive!!!" he shouted jubilantly. Without a second thought, he grabbed the vulpine and pulled him into a brotherly hug, forgetting for a moment that a Krystal was in his arms. Fox, due to the aforementioned vixen, couldn't return the hug, but was still overjoyed at finding his friends.

"Um, Falco? You're squishing me," Krystal said demurely. Falco was somewhat surprised at hearing a voice speaking from around his stomach. The avian backed off.

"Oh, sorry Krystal… didn't see you," he said apologetically. It was then that he realized that Krystal looked like she'd gone through an engine. "Krystal, what happened to you?" he asked frantically.

Krystal looked at the ground again. Fox decided to spare her the embarrassment momentarily. "I'll tell you later," he said in an angry voice. Falco felt it wise not to press the situation further.

"She was raped by one of the guards. Amazingly, it was the tiger that she was attacked by outside the Avaya Grill," Fara said coldly, deciding it was time to make her presence known. Her sudden announcement caught the attention of everyone, including Fox. Of course, the news that Krystal had been raped shocked them even more.

"She _what?_" Katt said in a choked voice. "You heard me," Fara replied in the same icy tone. Fox shot her a hard look; Fara had no right to disclose information that personal, especially so soon after the incident had taken place.

Fara glared back at Fox. She was getting tired of Fox being so protective of Krystal. They'd have to know eventually, and there's no time like the present.

Meanwhile, the others had gotten over the shock and where in the process of asking Krystal about what happened after they split up, so she explained everything.

"Let's get out of here _now,"_ Falco said, his voice getting slightly more rushed.

"I know a way out," Fara said.

"Alright then, what are we waiting for?" Falco said.

"For you to shut up," Fox said with humor in his voice. The others laughed. "Very funny, guys," The avian said.

The reunited companions started off to the exit.

"Sir, we have a situation," a lizard guard spoke up from his seat in front of his monitor.

"The hell is it?" Chris, the tiger who'd raped Krystal, asked. Surprisingly, he held

"There was a breach in security about 10 minutes ago in block D, cell 1138," the guard elaborated.

"1138? That's the hot vixen's cell. But how would she get out? She had a busted leg and the fennec was half-dead. Wait a minute, what about that other guy? She called him Fox. Well, I'd better take care of this guy. Guard, level 2 alert. We have a prison break and possibly a highly dangerous intruder. Put all troops on watch," Chris ordered in a stern voice.

"Yes sir," the lizard guard answered quickly. He flipped a switch and spoke into the microphone. "Attention all sections: a prisoner has escaped. She is a blue vixen. It is possible she is being accompanied by a highly dangerous intruder. The intruder is a gold-colored fox, approximately 5'8" in height with a muscular build. Shoot on sight, but do not harm the prisoner," the guard's voice echoed across the underground confines of the base.

Chris smiled to himself. Any moment now, he'd hear the ring of gunfire, followed by confirmation that the fox was dead, and the girl was back in his possession.

"_Attention all sections: Level 2 alert: a prisoner has escaped. She is a blue vixen. It is possible she is being accompanied by a highly dangerous intruder. The intruder is a gold-colored fox, approximately 5'8" in height with a muscular build. Shoot on sight, but do not harm the prisoner."_

"Great, now every damn guard here knows we're here," Fox cursed under his breath. Krystal whimpered in his arms, feeling very scared at hearing the orders for the guards to shoot Fox. In response, Fox hugged her tightly, her head resting on his chest. He was not going to let anything hurt her.

According to Fara, they were very close to the gates. Several close calls had left them edgy and eager to get out of the hellhole. If they didn't get out soon, they'd either go crazy or slip up and get caught. Simply put, they were running out of time.

"There's the exit!" Slippy half-screamed in joy, pointing a webbed finger at a massive set of imposing, metal doors set in the rock. Judging from the slight angle they were at, they most likely were, in fact, the main gate to the outside.

However, the amphibian's excitement faded as several guards, having just heard the alert, rushed onto the scene and posted themselves in front of the gate, blocking any attempt at escape. Each of them sported some manner of assault rifle.

"There is no way our luck is that bad," Falco said dryly under his breath.

"Can't you just shoot 'em?" Fara asked.

"We don't have any ammo," Katt answered flatly.

"Okay, so what do we do now?" Slippy asked to nobody in particular.

"Simple; we create a diversion," Fox said with a smirk.

"Care to elaborate?" Fara asked.

Fox explained his plan for getting past the guards, which involved himself being in the line of fire. Naturally, Krystal objected, stating it was too risky. Fox reassured her that the plan would only take a few seconds from start to finish, and also said that it was the only reasonable solution. Reluctantly, the vixen consented.

Surveying the guards once more, Fox leapt from the protective cover of the crates and dashed full-sprint in front of the guards, who instantly recognized him from the description and let loose a fierce volly of blaster-fire. He dove into an alcove in the rock wall, the newest of the rounds pounding the rock.

The plan was working perfectly; the unsuspecting guards took no notice of Falco as he snuck behind the guard nearest to where the others were hiding. The gunfire covering the sound of his footsteps, he snapped the neck of the first guard and grabbed his blaster, all the while not being seen.

After ducking once more behind the cover of storage items, the avian took careful aimed the pistol at the head of the guard, and squeezed the trigger. Time slowed as the energy bolt rocketed through the air towards the feline guard. If it didn't kill him immediately, then he would alert the others, either using words or a cry of pain. Falco held his breath.

The blast slammed full-force into his temple, nearly blowing his head off his shoulders. His semi-decapitated body fell to the rock ground, blood splattering.

"1 down, 4 to go," Falco murmured to himself, smiling. It amazed him that the guards never noticed their comrade's graphic death. Didn't matter; stupid guards make easy prey.

Next was an overweight pig. "Just like Pigma," Falco thought with an evil grin. The thought of finishing off that piece of blubber was always an entertaining one. Taking careful aim again, he fired. The unfortunate swine had the misfortune of having a blaster round tear through his neck and separate his chubby head from his even fatter shoulders.

This was not, however, Falco's intention. Quite the contrary; it took all the willpower he had not to scream out, for the head of the pig flew though the air and hit the next guard, who happened to be a wolf.

The wolf saw the head of his companion rolling around on the ground, and he looked up to see an avian aiming a blaster at him. The lupine, however, was quick with his gun. By the time Falco had loosed his blast, an identical shot passed it.

Falco's shot struck the wolf in the shoulder, spinning him around, but leaving him alive. Its twin smashed into Falco's left talon, bringing forth a cry of agony from the bird. He cradled his wounded talon with his other arm, and searched around frantically for the gun.

Falco's shout had alerted the last guard to his presence. He turned from alcove where the fox was hiding just in time to see a bird of some kind take cover, and to help his companion up from the now bloodstained ground.

Falco, while still in immense pain from being shot in the talon, managed to find the blaster once again. In a final effort, he dove out from behind the boxes and fired two shots, one which penetrated the heart of the wounded guard, and the other finding its mark between the eyes of the final soldier, going straight through his skull, exiting his head, and finally smashing into the wall behind him.

Both bodies slumped forward, dead. Falco stood up and, tossing the blaster aside, took his injured talon in his other wing, trying to stop the bleeding. Katt, after seeing the guards fall, rushed to his side, gasping when she saw the severity of his injury. The feline hugged Falco tightly, knowing that shot could have easily hit his head.

All the while, Fox tentatively crept out from the rock, and saw the carnage from the shootout. Seeing his friend's condition, he ran back to where the others were coming out, and got filled in on what had happened. Slippy set to work on the small, button coated pad on the side of the gate, trying to break the last barrier that held them.

After a moment of fiddling with the controls, Slippy gave a grin of satisfaction as he mashed the palm stud, which triggered the gates to slowly open with a groan, showing the grey swirls of clouds of the sky outside.

Everyone made a mad dash for the open gate, Fox carrying Krystal again. Once they'd gotten out, Slippy closed the gate. They were free!

"Thank God," Falco sighed, slumping down to rest against one of the many rocks coating the landscape, the adrenaline rush starting to fade.

Katt sat down beside him. "Let me see your talon," she instructed gently.

Tentatively, Falco agreed and extended his wounded wing. The shot had gone straight through his padded palm, and had probably broken at least a few of his bones in the process. Fortunately, all his claws were still attached. No irreversible damage had been done. The bleeding had slowed to a trickle; the blaster was not one of great power, so it had not made a large hole.

"Peppy, contact Howitz so he can give the order to blow this place to kingdom come," Fox commanded.

Peppy obeyed, and opened a channel on his communicator. "Colonel, we've located the base. Here are the coordinates," he said, and entered the location of the underground complex.

"Very good Hare, now move clear the area. The blast radius will be approximately 1 kilometre. You have twenty minutes," the German shepherd said in his usual gruff tone.

Fox grabbed Peppy's wrist and shouted at the screen. "Howitz, Krystal got hurt. You have to give us more time than that!" the vulpine shouted.

"Move fast. We can't take the risk that Black Snake will evacuate. Get moving now or you'll be caught in the explosion as well," the colonel finished, and closed the radio channel.

Without wasting another moment, Fox, carrying Krystal, started dashing at full speed, away from the doomed complex.

The others weren't far behind.

"Sir, we have intercepted a transmission," another guard piped up, some time after the alert went out.

"Play it," Chris commanded.

The hound played back the recording. First was heard the crackled voice of some old man, _"Colonel, we've located the base. Here are the coordinates," _

Next, a deeper voice of a clearly younger man: _"Very good, Hare, now move clear the area. The blast radius will be approximately 1 kilometre. You have twenty minutes,"_

The following voice, Chris recognized from that night in the alley outside of the Avaya Grill. _"Howitz, Krystal got hurt. You have to give us more time than that!"_

The apparent voice of Howitz came again. _"Move fast. We can't take the risk that Black Snake will evacuate. Get moving now or you'll be caught in the explosion as well," _Then, the transmission ended.

The guard spoke up, somewhat concerned at the foreshadowed attack, "Sir, perhaps we should evacuate. If we hurry, then we might be able to get most of the troops out.

Chris laughed aloud. "Don't be a coward. Just put up the energy shield," he ordered.

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(A/N: Okay, now things are sorted out. Why didn't you guys tell me the chapters were messed up?

Simba out)


	18. Chapter 18

(A/N: First, I know I haven't been able to update in a while, so I'm sorry. One thing though: I'm getting a lot of reviews like "UPDATE", "THIS IS GREAT", and short stuff like this. While I always appreciate positive reviews, I would like them to be a little more thought out. Secondly, if you've been reading this story and not reviewed at least once, please do. My hit counter on this story is currently 10,473, and only 115 reviews. Reviews and _constructive _criticism are appreciated.

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Chapter 18

Somewhere in the lower stratosphere, a satellite carrying a high-powered laser shifted. Having just received a signal to fire, it started moving itself into position, ready to annihilate its newfound target.

"I swear, if I get my paws on Howitz, he's dead," Katt mumbled under her breath.

"Quit talking and run," Fara snapped. _Who the hell is this Colonel Howitz guy? Well, whoever he his, he doesn't seem too welcoming._

Peppy, being much older than the others, was lagging behind the others. The rocky terrain made moving difficult to anyone, let alone a fifty year-old war veteran. His breathing had become ragged and his muscles ached after being called into service after a long period of disuse. At least ten minutes had passed, and the aged hare estimated that they'd gone only about 1/3 of a kilometer.

With sweat dampening his brow and slipping into his eyes, the old hare couldn't see the sizeable ditch in the ground right in front of him. He unwittingly got his foot caught and fell, bludgeoning his snout into the ground.

"Peppy!" Slippy cried as he saw his companion fall. The frog skidded to a halt, whipped around and ran back to assist his fallen friend. He helped Peppy up and assisted him in his running, which wasn't nearly as fast as before.

"Fox, there's no way we can clear the blast radius in time. Call Howitz and tell him to delay the attack 'till we're clear," Falco said.

"I've already tried contacting him. He's not responding," Fox replied angrily.

Krystal, who had chosen to remain silent, had started to cry. She was afraid. Deep down, part of her was still the nine-year old child she had been when her planet was destroyed. And, like a child, she was afraid to die. It was the simplest thing there was.

A single tear rolled down her cheek and off her snout. She fell onto Fox's chest. The vulpine looked down, and, in that moment seeing Krystal crying, he caught a rare glimpse of her most well-hidden side. Beneath the warrior, the adventurer, the mercenary, was just a twenty year-old girl. True, she wasn't your average twenty year-old, what with her uncommonly gentle and caring disposition and her breathtaking beauty and grace, but deep down, she held the fears of a child. When it all boiled down, she was just a girl. She never asked to be a mercenary, or to have to carry the burden of being the last Cerinian there was. She was a victim of consequence and circumstance. She didn't belong in this war. She didn't deserve to die.

Fox couldn't let her down. His weakness had already caused her to lose her innocence. He would not allow his weakness to rob her of her life as well. "Slippy, how much time do we have left?" Fox shouted.

Not bad…if anything, make this longer and add more emotion.

"Five minutes, Fox. We're not gonna make it. We need to find cover, fast," Slippy shouted back.

Fox redoubled his fast pace, spurred on by the impending destruction and the need to escape it. Frantically, he looked around for something that would provide sufficient protection from the satellite's wrath.

High above the speeding furries, the laser cannon started to power up, gathering strength from the generator adjacent to it. If anyone had happened to watching, they would've seen a red glow spark to life in the barrel of the cannon, and slowly grow in power until it was a blinding radiance, waiting to be unleashed.

"Fox, we have less than sixty seconds!" Slippy screamed.

Still, no protection presented itself. Time was short. They needed something, anything that would keep them from the certain death they would receive if they weren't hidden.

"15 seconds!" Slippy squeaked, his voice involuntarily reverting back to the way it was during the Lylat Wars: annoyingly high-pitched.

"You're not helping!" Falco shouted back.

Fox spotted their salvation rapidly approaching on their left; literally, a wave of rock, perhaps a metre high and about three times that in length. "There!" he shouted excitedly.

The others didn't need to be told what to do. Everyone scampered as fast as they could the short distance to the rock.

Slippy's communicator beeped spasmodically, warning that only ten seconds remained until the satellite would fire its deadly ray, decimating all in its path. It would be close.

Falco made it to the rock first, followed immediately by Katt. Fara was the next to make it to possible safety. All of them turned to look back as their companions moved at what seemed an agonizingly slow pace towards them

Seven seconds.

Fox, holding Krystal, sped into the protective cover, and quickly shuffled over for the last two remaining mercenaries to have room in the shelter.

Five seconds.

Slippy, assisting the dazed Peppy, pulled himself and the aged hare into the jutting, and braced themselves for the impending blast. There was no guarantee that the rock would hold. They would have a 50/50 chance of survival, if that.

Three.

Slippy laid Peppy back against the rock. He had probably received a concussion from the fall. That was the least of their worries.

Two.

Katt grabbed Falco, and the avian returned her embrace. Both closed their eyes, still holding on to each other, certain of nothing except for the fact that, should they go, they would go together.

One.

Krystal buried her head into Fox's chest, not wanting to see the end. Fox stroked her hair gently with one paw, the other held around her protectively, and closed his eyes.

Strangely, Krystal felt comfort in his touch. Even now, with death staring them in the face, the paw caressing her head induced a manner of calm, of closure.

So much had gone unsaid between them. If it ended here, it would all remain unspoken.

Thousands of feet above the terrified group, the satellite pulled the last of the energy from the generators, the luminescence of the charge now bright enough to blind one in an instant.

The computer that served its mind began the process of firing the destructive cannon. The pent up energy was focused and refined into a single deadly bolt that would penetrate the atmosphere without resistance.

The bolt was blasted out of the barrel at an incredible speed. The recoil of the shot caused the satellite to be thrown upwards several hundred feet. The ensuing boom was deafening, sending disrupted waves of sound in every direction for miles.

The energy rocketed towards the planet, tearing through the highest levels of clouds. Upon it rode the fate of hundreds of animals, seven of which were totally unprotected save for a bit of stone.

The bolt slammed into the energy shield that had been deployed, the full force of its momentum behind it. The force of the two energies colliding resulted in an explosion of pure power, ripping the air around it. The cannon shot glanced off at an angle, as the shield was dome shaped, and the weakened bolt flew towards where Fox and the others were hiding.

It smashed into the ground 100 metres from their shelter, finally smashing into the ground, causing a shockwave to spread throughout the ground itself and sending rocks of all sizes high into the air.

Krystal gave a muffled scream into Fox's chest when she felt the impact of the bolt. Falco and Katt tightened their hold on each other. Fara closed her eyes, along with Slippy. Peppy, who was only somewhat aware of what was going on, rocked forward from the impact, but didn't fall over.

Then, there was silence. It didn't last long, as the airborne rocks started to fall. Massive boulders, both seen and unseen, fell around the group. Most of them landed behind the rock formation, out of sight. One however, landed right in front of them, coming within inches of crushing Katt's outstretched hind paws. She gave a shocked scream, and quickly shuffled her paws back under her, still on edge from the near-crippling experience. The seconds passed in slow-motion, making the intervals between the impacts of the boulders seem like minutes rather than seconds.

Finally, the hail of rocks ended, and all was silent and peaceful. Nevertheless, it was several seconds before Krystal dared to remove her head from Fox's chest, and look around. First and foremost, she noticed the large rock in front of them, which, had it fallen short by a meter or two, would have probably crushed them all. Multiple other boulders of varying sizes coated the landscape, but other than that, the scenery was unchanged. The ground was not scorched, or even slightly burnt. It was as grey and as stoic and as depressing as ever.

"Something is not right here," Slippy said, his voice starting to return to its normal pitch, "If the blast radius was truly 1 kilometre, then we should have been caught up in it."

"Who cares? We're alive!" Falco shouted joyously. Katt shut him up with a kiss square on the beak, which Falco welcomed and returned.

"Yeah, can we go home now?" Fara asked, trying to ignore the couple making out beside her.

"Sure. Slippy, radio HQ and tell them we need a transport with a medical bay, and tell them to hurry," Fox ordered, taking a look down at the vixen in his arms. The site of the cerulean beauty in a state of such disgrace caused Fox's heart to jerk. _How could anybody _do_ something like this? _

Slippy opened a channel. At first it simply buzzed with white noise, but soon, Howitz picked up. "Hey, we need a transport with medical equipment. Can you send it?" Slippy asked.

"Yes. Wait where you are and you'll be picked up in a few minutes," Howitz answered, and then ended the transmission.

For a moment after, Fox couldn't help but stare into the dead screen of Slippy's wrist communicator; even now, with one of their own slowly losing their hold on consciousness, the gruff officer showed not even a hint of worry or distress in his voice. Did he even care?

The roar of engines in the distance announced the coming of the eagerly awaited transport. It soon came into view, first as a small speck in the distance, then becoming the size of a child's toy, and finally coming to rest in front of the weary mercenaries.

Surprisingly, it was the Great Fox itself, in all its aged glory. The machine sped towards the eagerly awaiting mercenaries, its engines roaring. As the capital ship pulled closer, several of patch-jobs and fix-ups showed on the hull of the cruiser, giving it a war-torn appearance. It seemed a fitting transport for the battle-weary occupants.

Of course, nobody was disappointed; finally, they would be in a familiar place. It was just what they needed.

Once more, Slippy's communicator buzzed to life, proclaiming a transmission. ROB's metallic face and torso faded into existence. "Star Fox member Slippy, the loading ramp is deploying now," ROB said stoically. On cue, the clanking coming from the door falling onto the hard rock ground.

The soldiers walked the last few metres, up onto their beloved Great Fox, in desperate need of rest. Fox padded up the sleek metal steps with all the speed he had left; Krystal needed medical care immediately; all of her wounds had gone untreated.

The mercenary bared his teeth at the thought of that bastard hurting his Krystal. He would find him, and torture him, nice and slow, until he screamed out, begging to die. And Fox would grant his death-wish with a smile.

For now, however, such thoughts would have to wait; Fox's arms were burning with fatigue, and his legs were the same, if not more-so. He would be sore for days afterwards from the exertion, but not even hell itself would slow him down now. The vulpine tore down the halls of his ship, running as if he had fire on his tail. Finally, the speeding vulpine and his dwindling companion reached the sleek, glass doors of the Great Fox's medical bay.

He slammed the bottom of his fist onto the palm stud which opened the doors, and rushed into the medical bay, where ROB was waiting, holding a wrap of bandages and disinfectant.

Quickly, but gently, Fox laid the fading vixen on the table, while ROB examined her wounds. The robot quickly determined that the most severe cuts were on her wrists and neck. Even though the machine didn't have emotions, he did recognize the fact that the azure canine currently in front of him had sustained injuries that weren't only painful, but seemingly pointless.

He wasn't programmed to feel disgust or anger, but it confounded him that one creature would harm another beyond the need to defend oneself or others. He still contemplated this conundrum as he pressed a sterile gauze pad to Krystal's slashed wrist, slowing the gush of blood to a trickle, and altogether stopping it up as he wrapped the adhesive bandage round her entire forearm.

Fox, on the other paw, was clearing away some of the more persistent dirt that had marred her angelic features with a wipe. A slash ran from the middle of her left cheek to the edge of her muzzle. Fox rectified the laceration with a large band-aid, which he applied ever so gently after some extra mopping with the wipe.

After applying this latest bandage, Fox started to feel a little light-headed. The adrenaline that had been coursing through his veins had started to die down, leaving him totally exhausted and in need of rest. He hadn't slept or eaten in at least a day, and the only thing that had kept him going was willpower and adrenaline, which was quickly fading now that the team was safe.

The vulpine tried to shake the feeling of weariness, but with his energy falling to new lows, he was powerless to stop himself from blacking out and collapsing where he stood.

The thud of his well-muscled body hitting the floor alerted ROB. "Fox, are you alright?" he asked, looking up from the blue vixen on the table. His optical sensors detected that his captain had passed out.

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(A/N: Well, there it is. Sorry if this was not the best place to end the chapter, but I wanted it done by Christmas. Hope you enjoyed. And Happy Christmahanukwanzaka!

Simba out)


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 18

Shrouds and shadows of unknown origin floated before the newly opened eyes of Fox McCloud. The surge of adrenaline, followed by the sudden lack thereof had left him dazed and exhausted. Every inch of every muscle ached from the prolonged exertion he had endured.

How long he'd slept, he couldn't tell. He didn't even know where he was. What had happened to reduce him to this state was, as of yet, still unknown. His memory of the last time he was awake had vanished with his strength, for now at least.

Utilizing the little energy he had left, Fox tried to force his eyes open, unsuccessfully. Anything that had happened could wait. With this in mind, he surrendered to the warm embrace of sleep and started fading.

Then, without warning, the memory of the hours past hit him like a freight train. The agonizingly slow search for the elusive underground complex, the ensuing firefight,

_Krystal_

Two familiar emotions swamped Fox's senses: grief, for Krystal and the pain she had suffered. Atrocities too horrible to speak of had been committed, and she was the sole recipient. No matter what the rest of her life held, Krystal would always be haunted by the memory of her rape.

And hate. Pure, unrestricted, animalistic hate.

Never in his life had Fox felt such consuming rage. Even when Pigma had betrayed his father. Nothing could compare with it. It was total and absolute.

No matter where Krystal's rapist went, no matter what he did, Fox would find him, and kill him, nice and slow. He had attacked the one Fox loved when she was defenseless, and had committed the worst of sins. Death would not come easy for him. It was too generous a fate.

Fox locked the second of these emotions deep within his mind. _Later _

Fox snapped his eyes open, disregarding the blinding light his unadjusted pupils drank in. The vulpine found himself in one of the medical bay beds, white sheets covering his body, which was still clothed in the battle-worn garments he'd had on earlier.

Ripping the covers from his bed, he jumped out of the comfortable bed. The medical bay was comprised of three main rooms: the front room, which was used for relatively minor injuries, such as sprains and breaks. The room was roughly the shape of a square, lined with cupboards and cabinets filled with first aid supplies. All in all, it looked like the doctor's office.

The next room was the ward, and was nothing more than a row of around 15 medical beds in a narrow hall. Opposite the beds were massive windows that showed the glorious expanse of space. In was in this room where Fox now stood.

In the very back was the operating room, used for serious injuries that required extensive reconstruction or repair. Nobody wanted to be back there, but recently, Falco, Katt, and now Krystal had been serviced.

Fox scanned first to his right, and then to his left, spotting the stunning vixen in the bed at the very end of the row… next to the doors to the operation room.

The vulpine dashed with newfound speed towards her, screeching to a halt when he saw that she was still asleep in her bed, her arms laid on the bed, next to her sides. Her right paw was resting on her stomach.

Fox sighed, seeing that both her wrists and her left forearm were covered in extensive bandaging. Such beauty, marred by such an ugly crime… it never should have happened. He sat down gently on the side of the spacious bed, still gazing at her illustrious features.

For a moment, Fox simply sat there, watching the slow rising and falling of Krystal's chest as she breathed in and out. As the moment stretched on, Fox's thoughts began to wander. Now that the base was destroyed, everyone would have some much-needed free time on their hands. What would happen next? Would things go back to the way they were? _Probably not_. Things were now in motion that could never be stopped. For better or for worse, things were never going to be the same again.

_Would Krystal quit the team? _

The question sat like a stone in Fox's stomach. After all, she'd been raped. What sane animal would stay a mercenary after that? Being a male, he would never be able to understand the feelings that had been thrust upon Krystal. And those feelings may well lead her to leave the team.

"Fox?" called a small, almost inaudible voice.

Fox looked down and saw Krystal, awake and looking up into his green eyes with her own, turquoise ones. He smiled gently, relieved that she was at least awake.

"Hey, you feeling alright?" he asked softly. Krystal nodded.

"You gave me a real scare. I was worried that you'd…" Fox ended his sentence prematurely. It wasn't just because he didn't want to think about how close Krystal was to death. It was because there came a point where simply _saying _he was relieved she was alive wasn't enough. After all, actions do speak louder than words.

What happened next surprised both Fox and Krystal.

Slowly, gently, Fox lay down on his side, so that he was parallel to Krystal, and wrapped his arms around her. Being ever so careful as to not disturb any of her injuries, he nuzzled her cheek with is own, in a very affectionate manner. His arms threaded themselves around her light frame, coming to rest behind her back.

Krystal, at first taken completely by surprised at this sudden show of affection, was now blushing so hard that her facial fur turned purple. Nevertheless, the feeling of having the man she loved, albeit secretly, nuzzling her was electrifying. Her entire body tingled from his soft touch.

Fox was loving every minute of sliding his cheek up and down her soft fur. After all this time, he was finally able to show Krystal at least something more than a smile and a few kind words. Now, they were alone. No Falco, no team to interfere. He could show Krystal that he really cared about her.

"I'm so glad your alright," Fox whispered gently into Krystal's ear. His hot breath tickling her ear made Krystal shiver with delight.

Despite her injuries, being alone, in bed with, and nuzzled by the vulpine of her dreams did get Krystal a little 'excited'. The young woman started returning the love, and took it a little further. She closed the gap between herself and Fox, till her body was flush against his. This was just like her dreams; herself and Fox, alone, sharing a tender moment with each other. She closed her eyes, letting her body take over.

"Krystal, there's something I need to tell you," said Fox's soft voice into Krystal's ear. The vixen opened her eyes, which shone with a dreamy, starry-eyed expression.

"What's that?" she asked.

All of a sudden, Fox had realized what he'd just said. It wasn't like he had any doubts about his love for Krystal. Rather, it didn't really register with him that he was about to tell her how he felt. His body had been on autopilot, and he'd let it do whatever it wanted. He started to panic. Sure, it seemed like she returned his feelings, but he just couldn't be-

**_Shut the hell up and tell the girl how you feel, _**said a voice inside his head.

Fox was stunned. As far as he knew, it was unnatural to hear a strange voice talking to him.

**_Think about it, dumbass. Do you think she'd have let anyone just waltz in and get her turned on like what you're doing? _**the voice said again.

'_Well, whoever you are, you've got a point,' _Fox though.

"Fox, what is it?" she asked after not receiving a response.

"Krystal, I just wanted to say that," Fox paused to take a breath. He still couldn't believe he was about to spill his secret right now. Too late to turn back, "of all the girls I've ever met, you're the sweetest, gentlest, most caring, and down right sexiest vixen I've ever met. You have this effect on me. I'm not sure what it is, but it's like, whenever you're around, I feel like everything's gonna be alright," he paused again. Four more words.

Krystal's muscles tensed in anticipation of Fox's next words. She thought she knew what he was going to say. It wasn't hard to guess. But could it really be happening? Was Fox really about to profess his love for her? She prayed that it wasn't just wishful thinking. It wasn't

"Krystal, I love you,"

The words echoed through Krystal's mind like the clear ringing of silver bells. She had hoped and dreamed of this moment for so long, and now it was really happening. Fox loved her! It was more than she could ever have hoped for.

She was so overwhelmed with joy and relief that, for a moment, she forgot to say anything. Tears of joy were starting to form in her eyes, dampening the soft pillow on which her head rested.

Fox took immediate notice. Was she upset? Had he done something wrong? If nothing was wrong, why was she crying?

"Krystal what is it?" he asked frantically.

"No Fox, nothing's wrong," she said with a smile, finally withdrawing her head enough so that they were looking directly into each others eyes. She saw his expression change to one of confusion, likely from the tears now running down the side of her cheeks.

"I'm just so happy. I love you, too, Fox," she said, fresh tears starting to form.

Krystal started to lose control of her body. In her semi-aroused state, the fresh admission of love from Fox McCloud was overpowering. Before she knew exactly what she was doing, she had slowly closed the gap between her muzzle and Fox's.

Of course, when her mind caught up with her body, she didn't protest at all.

Slowly, her own muzzle came within centimeters of Fox's. In his eyes, she saw wonder and anticipation. She could feel he's hot breath caressing her snout, tickling it and making her all the more eager to make that first, huge step in any romantic relationship. She hungered to know what he tasted like, to feel his lips pressed against hers.

Her body trembled in anticipation as her muzzle neared his. Her eyelids drooped slightly, and her head tilted ever so slightly to the side.

Finally, her eyes were completely closed. Any second, her lips would make contact with his. The urge she felt to simply mash her muzzle against his was overwhelming. They were so close to their first kiss. She was done waiting. She would wait no longer.

She didn't have to.

At last, the agonizing wait was over. Krystal felt Fox's lips mesh gently against her own, sending a shock wave of emotion coursing through her body. The bottled up emotions she'd held back ever since she'd first met him had finally been opened.

The gentle feeling of his lips against hers sent shivers up her spine, making her hungry for more. What had started as a soft, innocent kiss began to change into something more passionate.

Krystal trailed her paw up to the back of Fox's head, and gently pressed him into her.

Taking something, of a leap, the smitten vixen pressed her tongue against Fox's maw. After being allowed entrance, much to her delight, she started exploring every inch of the inside of his mouth.

Now, the vixen was completely at the mercy of her animalistic instincts. The last bit of self control was gone, leaving only desire. Withdrawing slightly, Krystal started moving to the corner of Fox's mouth. She turned from kissing him to licking his cheek, to moving down the side of his neck, continuing to let her pink tongue caress his powerful body.

A deep growl of pleasure escaped Fox's throat. This girl knew what she was doing it and it felt _good._ _You know what they say, 'One good turn deserves another,' _the vulpine thought to himself.

He began to reciprocate the affection, starting by ever so gently removing her vest, leaving her in her new tank-top and shorts. His paws felt up and down Krystal's exposed sides.

Meanwhile, Krystal decided Fox's shirt was getting in the way. She pulled it over his head, revealing his very well toned chest. The vixen smiled slyly, and started moving down his neck, onto his chest, with intent on soon knowing _every _inch of Fox's body.

Fox let her do exactly what she wanted. He felt her tongue moving slowly down his chest, onto his six-pack. This was just getting better and better.

At least, until the whole thing came to a screeching halt when Fox's loving paws chanced to feel over one of the slashes still on Krystal's body. His eyes shot open and his mind screamed. _What the hell are you doing?!? She's still hurt bad!! This is wrong._

Fox reached down, to where Krystal's curious tongue had trailed down into dangerous territory. The vulpine stroked her chin, drawing her attention away from the animalistic love she was showing.

Sensing something had made Fox uneasy, she reclaimed her former position, confusion on her face. Fox smiled, took her paws in his, and spoke softly to the vixen.

"Believe me, I'm sorry I stopped you just then, but I couldn't live with myself if I felt I'd taken advantage of you," Fox said.

"Fox, you weren't taking advantage of me. I was the one just about to start something," the vixen answered with a mischievous grin.

"I know. It's just that, you're still not one hundred percent recovered, and I just feel it would be improper for you and I to, well, do anything like that," Fox said, blushing a bit towards the end.

A frown began to form on Krystal's face. She'd been trying to forget the events of the recent hours, or was it days now? She just wanted for it to be like it never happened. Her mind was still fresh from the sights and emotions caused by the tiger.

Nevertheless, Fox's gentlemanly actions warmed her heart. The fact that he would put his love for her above his apparent lust for her was not something that many males would do in this day and age.

"Of course, that doesn't mean I'm not gonna find some other way to show I love you," Fox said with a smile, letting his mischievously boyish side show.

"I'm all yours," Krystal answered slowly, before lip-locking with McCloud in another kiss.

Despite Krystal's rape, despite the war still raging, and despite the fact the future was still uncertain, for right now, Fox and Krystal could share precious time together. And precious time it was.

"Wait a minute, yep. They've definitely stopped doing whatever they were doing and gone back to making out," Falco told Slippy, using his excellent eyesight to observe his friend and newest teammate going at it.

"Well, looks like you owe me five credits," Slippy said smugly.

"Hey, you said and I quote, "Slippy, five credits says Fox and Krystal are making love in that bed, right now," the amphibian said.

"Hey, we don't know what they were doing five minutes ago. For all we know, our good body may have just lived for the first time not more than thirty seconds ago," Falco answered.

"Oh c'mon, you just don't want to pay," Slippy argued.

"You're right. I don't," Falco said, not taking his eyes of the two vulpines.

"Hey, what are you two doing?" a voice called out beyond the two nosy mercenaries. Both of them whipped around and saw Peppy, glaring at them intently.

"Nothing!" they both half-shouted.

The old hare raised an eyebrow. "Are you two spying on Fox and Krystal?" he asked.

"It was all Falco's idea! He bet they were getting it on. I'm not gonna argue with five free credits," Slippy sputtered out in his defense.

"So you violate your friend and captains privacy with a woman for five damn credits?" Peppy asked harshly.

"Blame Falco. He knows Slippy will do anything to get his chubby webbed fingers on a few extra credits," Katt said, having appeared out of nowhere.

"Whose side are you on, Katt?" Falco asked good-naturedly.

The feline put on a seductive smile and walked over to where her boyfriend stood. "I was on your side last night," she said quietly.

"I enjoyed that," Falco answered with a knowing smile.

"So did I," Katt finished, slipping her paw into Falco's wing and planted a quick kiss on the side of his beak.

Meanwhile, Peppy and Slippy were cracking up over the banter going on between the two lovers. Falco was always a little different when Katt was around. The change from tough-guy to lover-boy was really quite hilarious to the two who knew him solely as the former.

"What's so funny?" asked the final occupant of the Great Fox: Fara.

Suddenly, the laid-back and easy going attitude that filled the air vanished, replaced by tension and suspense. If Fara saw Fox and Krystal making out, or whatever was going on between the two at this particular moment, it could very well end badly.

Everyone simultaneously tried to distract Fara without being overly conspicuous. Katt was the one who broke the silence. "Oh, nothing. Falco and I were flirting and those two over there were laughing there heads off," she said, trying to sound at ease.

"Figures," Fara said with a wry smile, before starting off down the corridor. "By the way, where are Fox and Kry-" the fennec cut herself off.

Everybody looked at Fara strangely, before realizing what had just taken place. When the poor girl had turned around, she'd happened to glance directly over Falco's shoulder right to where Fox and Krystal were kissing, rather heatedly.

She didn't scream, she didn't speak, she didn't make a sound. She just turned on her heels and walked down the corridor, hot tears already forming.

Sure, she'd already said she could live with Fox and Krystal being in love, but to have it shoved straight in her face was more than she could handle.

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(A/N: Yeesh, that was steamy. Well, eventful chapter. Hope you guys enjoyed it. Poor Fara.

Simba out)


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Krystal sighed, snuggling deeper into Fox's embrace, resting her head in the crook of his neck. _'That was fun,' _she thought. Their affection for each other hadn't gone too far into the realm of the physical, but she was more than satisfied with the perfectly innocent experience they shared. _'Falco is going to give Fox hell for this,' _she thought, smirking to herself.

"Fox, what happens now?" Krystal asked, not bothering to move.

"I don't know, Krystal. I really don't know," Fox answered solemnly.

"Will I be allowed to stay on?" she asked timidly.

Fox looked at her quizzically. "Why wouldn't you?" he asked.

"Well, it's just that, won't I be a distraction? I'd hate to think I'm holding you back," Krystal answered.

"Krystal, don't be ridiculous! I will get down on my knees and beg for you not to go," Fox answered.

"Well, that's a sight I might have to see. The great Fox McCloud reduced to begging. Falco would never let you live it down," Krystal said, smiling mischievously.

"Well, if you'll stay, it'll be worth it," the vulpine said.

Krystal patted his cheek affectionately. "You're sweet,"

"I try, love," Fox said, before gently running his paw up her spine. Krystal shivered at the sensation, shuttering slightly.

"Don't do that," she said playfully, pushing his tickling paw away.

"Aw, is Krystal ticklish?" he teased in a childish voice, this time going for her sides. The playful assault on her ribs did not go as planned. Rather than laughing, Krystal gave a yelp of pain. Immediately, Fox withdrew his paws, panic striking. "Krystal, I'm so sorry! Are you okay?" he asked frantically.

"Yeah, I'm alright. You just hit a sore spot," she said, wincing slightly.

"Krystal, I swear, I'll hunt that bastard down, and I'll finish him off if it's the last thing I do. What he did do you, it was unspeakable. I'm sorry I wasn't there for you. I'll never let anybody hurt you again. I swear, as long as I live, I'll always be there for you, no matter what," Fox said softly.

Krystal didn't answer. She just leaned her head back into his chest, where it was most comfortable. _'I hope you really mean that,' _Krystal thought smiling. _'Of course, there's no way I'm just gonna play 'damsel in distress' the entire time, just for his enjoyment.' _Truly, Krystal's time would come sooner than she or anyone could guess. A bloody civil war still raged on the planet below. There were still battles to be fought, missions to be flown, and, possibly, friends to be lost. But for now, she enjoyed the warmth, feel, and love of her newfound lover. Everything else could wait, for at least a few more hours.

Once more in the most comfortable position she'd ever been in, the blue vixen began fading into sleep, protected by the strong arms of Fox McCloud. She was safe, now. Fox would protect her, even when she couldn't protect herself. He would never leave her, never abandon her, and never, ever hurt her…

Krystal laughed in glee as Fox McCloud twirled her around in his arms, a smile on his face. The gleeful Fox fell backwards, landing upon the soft grass, holding Krystal in his arms. The foxes looked into each other's eyes with starry eyes. Krystal cracked a sexy smile, a burning desire beginning to fill her. She latched her paws into Fox's shirt and gently slid it over her head, showing off Fox's toned chest. The vixen nuzzled Fox's chest with her head, loving the feel of his taught muscles beneath soft fur. She felt a pair of paws wrap themselves around her tank top and pull it off. Krystal gave no resistance, and it wasn't long before both lovers were completely revealed to one another.

It was a new, and thrilling, sensation for the Cerinian, but it felt… natural. There was no worry or nervousness. Just the pleasure of passion. Krystal was eager to make the next great leap, but Fox waited, he spoke gently into Krystal's ear.

"I love you," Fox said.

"I know, and I love you too," Krystal answered, "Are you ready, yet?" she begged.

"More than ever," Fox said with a smile.

Krystal closed her eyes, waiting eagerly for the long-awaited sensation to engulf her. She felt Fox slide inside of her, sending a spike of pleasure up her spine. The vixen grabbed Fox's fur, hugging him to her as she moaned with pleasure. She heard Fox gasp, his embrace tightening. As exhilarated as Krystal felt, she wanted more. Krystal pressed herself even closer to the vulpine of her dreams, letting him know of her desire. Fox was happy to oblige, wanting the same thing.

Krystal's pleasure began to escalate, her senses overloading from the tidal wave of emotion. She screamed in pleasure as she hit her climax. She gripped Fox's fur tighter than before, causing him to wince slightly. Krystal eased her grip, shuddering slightly, the amazing feeling of making love to Fox McCloud coming to its end.

"How do you feel, love?" Fox asked the vixen, his voice sounding much different. Instead of a sexy, masculine tone, now it was soft and loving, enticing in a different manner.

"Perfect, Fox, I feel perfect. How about you?" Krystal said as softly as him.

There wasn't any response. Krystal opened her eyes, wondering why her lover hadn't said anything. Horror struck her when she saw not Fox, but the cloaked figure from her nightmares. From beneath the black hood, a pair of gleaming eyes cut through her in an ice cold gaze. An evil smile flashed, showing teeth as white as bone.

"You were wrong. Fox loves me. He would never hurt me," Krystal spat defiantly.

"Wait and see, dear Cerinian, wait and see. He loves you today, but there will come a time when he has to choose between your survival and his, and when that day comes, he will gladly kill you to save himself. So, enjoy yourself while it lasts," The cloaked figure replied.

Krystal awoke with a start, still lying in Fox's arms. This time, though, she wasn't afraid. She was with Fox, where nothing could hurt her. _'Dreams are the imagination run wild. Fox would never think of hurting me,' _Krystal thought, _'Never in his life,'_

"Krystal, are you alright?" Fox whispered in her ear.

The vixen smiled. _'He always worries about me too much,'_ she thought. That was one of the reasons she loved him. "I'm fine Fox. In fact, I've never felt better," Krystal answered with a smile.

The two fell asleep once more, love in their hearts.

"Colonel, the Great Fox is docking in Hangar 3. Shall I have them report to you for debriefing?" a corporal asked.

"Yes," Howitz answered tersely. _'Why the hell didn't that attack work? The satellite scored a direct hit. It should've been wiped off the map,' _the German shepherd wondered.

"Sir, transmission from Pepper," a communications officer shouted.

"Put him through," Howitz ordered.

The dog turned to the large screen dominating a section of wall, which buzzed to life. The seemingly towering form of General Pepper slid into focus, tall and imposing.

"Colonel, report. What of the space attack on Black Snake's compound?" The aged hound demanded.

"The attack… failed," Howitz growled through clenched teeth.

"What? I was informed this operation could not fail. What happened?" Pepper pressed.

"For an, as of yet, undetermined reason, the artillery strike was unsuccessful. I feel the fault lies with the Star Fox team. Either they provided faulty information, or their unencoded transmission was intercepted by Black Snake, which may have given them time to set up some sort of defenses," Howitz answered flatly.

"What of the Star Fox team? Are they alive and unharmed?" Pepper asked hurriedly.

"When Fox McCloud called in for an extraction, he noted one of his team, Krystal, I believe, had been seriously injured. I am, as of yet, unaware of the extent of the injuries she has sustained. I'm guessing that that will be part of McCloud's report," Howitz answered, keeping his voice cold and militaristic.

"Howitz, that girl is more than part of McCloud's team. He cares for her, and her being injured may impact his attitude. Do whatever is necessary to keep her alive and in good health. If she dies, McCloud will cut the contract and leave, but not before he kills you. Do not, under any circumstances insult her. McCloud has a history of… recklessness. He often allows his emotions to impede judgment and control his actions. Fox will likely storm in and demand that you hospitalize Krystal, if her injuries warrant it. Do so, but allow Fox to stay with her. Pepper out," the image of the old hound dog disappeared.

Howitz growled in irritation. _'Who does this Fox McCloud think he is? I won't take orders from some merc, no matter how famous. I am too close to success to allow anyone to mess it up. If this Krystal is so important, Fox can protect her himself,' _he thought.

"Well, I think we've given those two enough alone time. I'll see if I can pry them apart before we land," Falco said, standing up from his seat. The raptor made his way down the hall from where the rest of the team was waiting. His boots clacked out loudly on the metal floor, which gleamed slightly from the lights. _'Knowing Fox, he'll probably try and break Howtiz's neck. Well, I'll be happy to help him,'_ Falco smirked, _'Can't exactly blame him. If Katt ever got hurt on a mission, I'd be pissed off as hell, and I guess killing the guy would certainly something I considered. Just hope McCloud doesn't do anything stupid.' _

The avian's thoughts silenced as he continued padding down the hallway. His thinking shifted from Fox's inevitable rage to Fara. _'Wonder what she'll do. The only reason she even hide aboard the ship was to try to win over Fox. Well, she failed miserably. Maybe it'd be a good idea to drop her off at the base. I can't help but feel a little sorry for her. This girl's been saving her heart for Fox for eight years, only to find him taken. That's… harsh.' _

Thinking like this was neither characteristic nor familiar for Falco. True, he was in love, himself; Katt meant the world to him. However, trying to think from someone else's point of view was… difficult for him. It was a factor in his breakup with Katt after their first relationship. The avian considered himself a good man, but he also accepted that the only people he really cared about where those closest to him. This isn't to say he would let a child drown while he walked by, but the relationship troubles of anybody not in his inner circle didn't really interest him. _'I guess I never really knew anybody like that before. Or maybe, I just cared about myself too much to notice,'_ the avian was now leaping into uncharted waters. Self-reflection was never something he'd done before. _'I hope she finds what she's looking for, whatever that is.' _

Falco came to a stop in front of the enforced glass doors of the medical bay, his spiritual epiphany ending. The recent exploration into new philosophy was more than enough for now. He walked forward, the glass doors sliding apart. There were no artificial lights. Instead, the room's lighting was provided by the stars, shining gently through the massive windows.

Falco padded gently down the room, gazing out across space. The majestic gaze had a strangely sobering effect on the avian, strange because it was simultaneously beautiful and, in its own messed up way, scary. Truthfully, the thought of being so small in something so big and dark and unknown was unsettling to Falco. Childish fears of ghosts and ghouls always managed to find their way into his mind, despite his aggressive disposition. _'Goddamn it, enough of this philosophy shit!' _he thought, shaking his head and returning to the task at hand.

"Well, isn't that cute?" he said with a smirk. Fox and Krystal were lying in each other's arms, fast asleep. "C'mon, Fox, nap time's over," he commanded, shaking his friend's shoulder. Fox awoke with a start, looking around.

"What? I was enjoying myself," he asked, sounding grumpy.

"Yes, Fox, I can see that," he said, gesturing to the still sleeping Krystal, "But we're probably going to dock soon, so you need to get ready."

"Alright, I'll be along in a minute," he said, swinging his legs over the side of the bed," Fox answered, scratching his head.

Falco crossed his arms, not convinced. Fox gave him an annoyed glare. "Beat it," Fox said, a little louder.

"Okay, okay, I'm leaving, yeesh," Falco groused, turning to leave. Fox watched the avian leave the room, before getting up himself.

"Why do you do that, treat each other that way, I mean?" a small voice asked behind him. Fox turned to see Krystal, sitting on the bed, giving him a quizzical look.

"It's just how we act, that's all. I mean, he's sarcastic and cynical, so I treat him like that. That's what we've always done," Fox answered as best he could.

"Why does he act like that?" Krystal questioned further.

"Well, Falco's never had an easy life. I've never heard him talk about his parents, and I don't know if he's even met them. He got involved with gangs at an early age, and that's how he met Katt. He's spent some time in jail, for what I'm not really sure. He and Katt were going out before he was on my team, but broke up for some reason. He's really changed since Katt came back. Deep down, he's really a good guy. He'd never let anything happen to his friends. You can trust him. I do," Fox answered. Krystal simply nodded.

"Now, we'd better get going," he said with a smile. Fox thrust his arms under Krystal's neck and legs, sweeping her up. The vixen giggled happily, looking up at Fox.

"Put me down, Fox," she begged, still laughing. Fox set her down gently, and the two left the ward, making their way to the bridge.

"What, what do you mean the attack didn't work?" Falco shouted at Howitz's stoic face. "We practically died in there, and now you tell us it was for nothing!"

"You sent an uncoded transmission and/or improper coordinates. The failure of the attack was no fault of ours. I will be submitting a full report to General Pepper within the hour, requesting that you be taken off the mission. You will receive partial compensation for your "accomplishments". Consider yourselves lucky," Howitz ended the transmission.

Falco gaped at what he'd heard. They'd just been taken off a mission, for the first time in team history, and had received a fraction of the fee they'd been promised. It was more than just a botched operation, it was failure, total failure.

"Fox is gonna be so pissed," Falco whispered to himself, shaking his head in disbelief. Things had gone from bad to worse in a matter of seconds, and it didn't look like they were going to get any better any time soon.


	21. Chapter 21

_Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, except the OC's_

_Note: I've received reviews complaining about my treatment of female characters in my story. To any girls reading this story, if there are any left, I'm very sorry if I offended anyone in any way. The story will start to change very soon._

Chapter 21

Fox stared in disbelief at the avian standing before him, eyes widened in disbelief _'No way in hell. There's just no friggin' way,' _

"I'm sorry, Fox, he just popped onto the screen, said we were taken off the job, and that's it," Falco repeated, shoulders sagging. Fox couldn't get a sound out. This had _never _happened before. All they'd sacrificed to the mission so far, only to find that they'd been taken off. All he could do was gape in shock that it was really over, done, finished. And what did they have to show for it? Next to nothing. No massive pay check, no big victory celebration, just an unceremonious trip back to endlessly meandering through the deep reaches of space. His father would be ashamed.

"ROB, open a transmission with Colonel Howitz headquarters. I need to speak with him," Fox finally said. The blank screen flashed into life, and Colonel Howitz was looking down upon Fox.

"What do you want, McCloud?" he asked.

"Why the hell did you suddenly pull us from this mission?" Fox asked, his voice still only just above a whisper.

"I already explained this to Lombardi. You were taken off because you sent us inaccurate information with regards to the location of the Black Snake base. Because of your mistake, they will most likely abandon their current position in favor of a new one. We had been working for months to get that satellite strike in place, and you caused our one shot to fail. That is why you're being pulled," he answered, and without another word, closed the transmission, leaving the bridge in a stunned silence.

"The hell does he mean 'faulty information'?" Fox shouted, "We did everything right, and he's telling us we're off?"

"Cool it, McCloud. I'm just as pissed as you are, but it's not like there's anything we can do about it. It's not like the world's gonna end if we get taken off a mission," Falco said, trying to calm the vulpine.

Fox shot his companion an icy glare. "No, I don't think you get it," he said, maintaining his cold demeanor. "Do you have any idea what this means? When my dad was still alive, he always told me the most important thing was to finish whatever you started. If he were here right now, what do you think he'd say?"

"Y'know what Fox? I really don't care what your dad would say. We've been taken off, and that's the reality. Let's just be grateful that we're all in one piece," Falco answered.

"Maybe you don't care about this team, but I sure as hell do," Fox said. He paused before adding, "As soon as we get back, I'm going see why the hell Howitz think this is our fault. _I'm_ gonna go back and get our job back. You do what you want."

The vulpine turned stormed out of the bridge, leaving the atmosphere charged from his explosion of anger. Falco moved to follow him, determined to continue the argument, but Krystal stopped him.

"Move it, Krystal. Fox is being stupid," Falco ordered.

"I know. Just lay off him for now. He's under a lot of stress. He just needs some time to relax. I'll go talk to him," Krystal said.

Falco mumbled something under his breath, but did as instructed and walked in the opposite direction. Krystal sighed, knowing that she now had to try to calm an angry Fox, which was neither an easy process nor a short one. Following after Fox, she left the bridge.

The clanking of Fox's standard-issue field boots echoed faintly down the halls of the Great Fox, making following him an easier task that it well could have been. Nevertheless, it seemed as Fox was dead set on traveling as far into the depths of the massive ship as possible.

Krystal almost lost track of her elusive target when he decided to take a flight of stairs up to another deck, but she managed to shadow him unseen until he arrived at his destination: his room. _'There wasn't any shorter way?' _Krystal thought in wonder as she recognized the familiar doors sporting their brass plates stating ownership. A few more steps brought her in front of Fox's door, shut.

Krystal tapped the door with her paw, not wishing to intrude if Fox wished to remain alone.

"If it's Falco, I don't want to hear it," Fox shouted through the door.

"It's me," Krystal whispered, barely loud enough for Fox to hear.

The door slid open, revealing Fox standing before Krystal. "Oh, well, what is it?" he asked.

"I just wanted to talk to you, that's all," she answered in a small voice.

"Oh, well, do you want to come in?" he asked, gesturing inside.

"Thank you," she answered, stepping through the threshold into Fox's room. Upon entering, the vulpine that inhabited the room flopped down on his bed with a defeated sigh, staring up at the ceiling. Krystal gently walked over to where he lay, sitting on the side of his bed, and began to gently stroke Fox's shoulder. Taking this opportunity to look around Fox's room, the first thing she noticed was a picture of what looked like an older version of Fox sporting sunglasses, and a kit sitting on his shoulders.

"Fox, is this your dad?" Krystal asked, picking up the framed photo.

"Yes. That was the last time I saw him," he answered.

"Oh, I'm sorry," she said.

"It's alright. Even though I always miss him, I've come to grips with it," Fox said, sitting up and looking at the vixen. "Even so, I'd like to see him again."

Krystal took a seat on the bed next to Fox. "Y'know, Falco does have a point. At least we're all still here," she said, trying to put a positive spin on the situation.

"Is that what you wanted to talk about? Well, regardless, I'm still going to have a talk with Howitz as soon as we get back," Fox said.

"Fox, is there more to it than just that you've not failed a mission yet?" Krystal asked, turning to him. The vulpine looked back at her, then gazed down at the small space of the bed between where they sat.

"Well, it's just that, now we can't take revenge for what happened to you," Fox answered.

"Is that it, revenge? Fox, no matter what you do to him won't undo what he did," Krystal said.

"I just want him to pay for what he did to you. No crime like that should go unpunished," Fox answered.

Krystal reached out a paw and placed it on Fox's cheek, which tinted red with a blush. She smiled, knowing it was her who had the ability to make him so nervous. "Fox, I want you to know that what you're trying to do is really a sweet thing. Not many people would do that," the azure vixen said. Fox smiled at the vixen, his heart warmed at the praise she'd just given him. Just to hear her say his name was enough to get his heart pumping.

Fox took Krystal's paw in both his own, smiling contently at the feeling of her soft fur pressed against his cheek. He closed his eyes, focusing just on the slightly tickling sensation. He was disturbed from this blissful state when he felt warmth and heat close to his face. He opened his eyes, and saw a pair of deep, turquoise eyes staring into his own green ones. The vixen staring at him tilted her head to the side, and pressed her lips against his, ever so gently, in a butterfly-soft kiss.

Krystal pulled back, leaving Fox a little starry-eyed from the kiss. Nevertheless, he shook himself from his daze and smiled back at the vixen before him.

"Attention, Great Fox is docking. All team members report to hangar bay," ROB's voice announced.

"Well, time to go try and get our jobs back," Fox said, standing up. The two vulpine navigated the endless corridors until they reached the unloading dock, where the rest of the team was waiting, minus Fara. Of course, Falco, being Falco, complained about how they'd managed to keep everybody waiting, and didn't take a hint and shut up till they'd gotten all the way to the end of the hangar.

"Where's Fara?" Fox asked Falco.

"Still somewhere on the ship. I told her we'd be getting off, and she just said she didn't care. Sounded pretty torn up," Falco answered, crossing his wings. He couldn't help but feel another stab of pity for the fennec.

Fox sighed, knowing something would have to be done about her. She couldn't tag along anymore. "Well, I'll see about getting her back home. She doesn't belong here." Everybody knew what he was thinking, but it still remained unsaid. "Well, I've got something I need to sort out with Howitz, so just meet me back here in an hour. Oh, Falco, you may want to get that wing of yours looked at," he said, gesturing to his friends wing.

"Oh, right, forgot about that," he muttered, turning away from the group.

Before the avian could take a single step, he was hurled backwards along with the rest of the group, downed by the splash damage from an explosion at the far end of the hangar. Immediately, alarms blared throughout the base, as dozens of soldiers and engineers attempted to find out what had had attacked them. The first explosion was followed quickly by a second, and then a third.

"That was the Great Fox!!" Falco shouted upon seeing the ship that had been his home be ripped apart by the blasts.

"Oh my God," Fox whispered in shocked awe. However, it was not at his beloved ship that he was staring, but instead at the multitude of insurgents that poured from the ships hull, guns blazing. Chaos erupted as those who had the misfortune of being in the path of the stampeding troops were gunned down and slaughtered instantly as the invasion force flowed in.

"Run!" Fox ordered. It suddenly hit him; Fara was still on board.

"How the hell did this happen?" Howitz demanded, slamming a fist onto his desk.

"They must've seen us and managed to conceal themselves in the lower decks of the Great Fox, waiting until they were sure we'd returned, effectively using it like a Trojan Horse," Slippy explained to the seething military officer.

"Are you people really that incompetent as to allow the enemy safe passage to our headquarters?" Howitz shouted, this time at Fox. "I really don't give a damn who you've killed in the past. From know on, you're on your own." The colonel stood up, brushing past the mercenaries, and left the room, leaving them to fend for themselves. Peppy's gaze followed Howitz out of the room, then turned to Fox. However, the vulpine did not look at all ready to take on the army now massing in the nearby hangar. He was staring at the ground, head hung in total defeat. This sparked anger in the old hare. "Fox, what are you doing?" he half-shouted, "This is no time to be moping around. Fara is still somewhere on that ship and we have to get her out of there."

Fox didn't shout back, only nodded and looked up at his father's old friend. "You're right. Let's go," he said, but his heart was not in it.

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_I know this chapter was shorter than others. The next one will be more in depth. To anyone following my Sly Cooper story, it'll be awhile yet before I update next._

_  
Simba out_


	22. Chapter 22

_(I apologize for the long intervals between updates. Summer's been crazy. IF anyone's still reading this, hope you enjoy this next chapter)_

_Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters)_

"Oy, Captain," shouted a low-level grunt, "I found a prisoner. What you want me to do with 'er?"

"Eh? Well, toss her in one of the storage rooms. We'll deal with her later," the officer answered, turning back to the business of mobilizing the mobile artillery unit under his command. Luckily, they'd caught the military's dogs off guard, and they needed to capitalize on their stroke of fortune. He didn't remember the name of the guy who'd tipped them off to the mercenaries who'd infiltrated their mountain base. Some higher up officer with ambitions and a plan. Frankly, he didn't give a damn. As long as they could fight, he was satisfied. Right now, prisoners were not his top priority.

"Right," the grunt answered, shoving the fennec into the nearest storage room and bolting the door. As he walked away, the recently imprisoned Fara Phoenix slumped into a sitting position against the door, staring down at her feet.

"Damn you, Fox," she cursed the man she once loved. Perhaps it was unfair of her, but she'd waited for eight years for Fox, only to find he had fallen for another woman. No, blaming him entirely wasn't fair, but hadn't they already promised to stay together? Even if they were both young, they were still in love. Or at least, they were.

"There's about five hundred already mobilized. That's gotta be their shock troopers. More will be coming soon, so we've gotta get in there and get out before the attack is in full swing," Peppy said to his companions.

"We need a diversion," Fox said.

"Thank you, Captain Obvious. Well, let's see, there's 6 of us and five hundred of them. They're armed to the teeth and we've just got what we have on us. Yeah, good luck with that," Falco commented.

"Shut up, birdbrain. We'll wait here for Howitz to counterattack, then we move in," Fox shot back.

"And how long will that be?" Katt asked. In answer, a massive barrage of blaster fire erupted from fifty metres away, pounding into the ranks of invading rebels.

"Well, there you have it. Move," Fox ordered. As discreetly, as possible, the group of mercenaries began to circle around their ship, looking for the opening they needed to sneak aboard. As the gunfire ripped into the insurgents, they split into squads, taking up defensive positions behind what cargo and supplies hadn't yet been loaded, unleashing fire back upon the armies troops. Soon, it became clear that the insurgents had the upper hand. They had the advantages of surprise, numbers, and weaponry. It wasn't long before the Isirian soldiers and their Cornerian allies began falling back to more favorable ground.

This was exactly what Fox wanted. The farther away the rebels got, the easier it would be to get aboard. Now, they had pushed the government forces back to the hangar exit, but had not been able to secure it. They were three hundred metres away from the loading ramp of the Great Fox. It was a desirable gap, but everything between him and his ship was open ground. And three hundred metres of open ground seemed like a very long way to go. If they were caught, they wouldn't stand a chance.

He turned to his team mates, his tactically conditioned mind formulating a plan, "Peppy, Krystal and Slippy, you guys stay here, and make sure they don't get back into the Great Fox. Falco, Katt and I will search the ship and find Fara. What weapons to we have left?" He didn't like the idea of being separated from Krystal in this dangerous situation, but her ankle was still broken.

"Well, Krystal has a sniper rifle and I still have three time bombs. Besides that, I think everyone has a blaster, but that's it," Slippy answered grimly.

"I see. We'll leave the weapons here. Everything else we can get from the ship, assuming they haven't already raided it," Fox said. It was a pretty big assumption. Resistance groups like this were used to procuring weapons using unconventional methods.

"Alright," Fox said, "On three. One. Two. Three!" The mercenaries made a mad dash for the loading ramp, keeping their eyes fixed on the gunfight still raging. Fox's heart pounded in his ribs as adrenaline flowed through his body. His footsteps seemed to echo throughout the entire hangar. Sweat began forming on his brow as he looked back to see his teammates still close behind. Cutting his gaze back to the Great Fox, to which they drew closer at what felt like a snail's pace. And yet still, the rebels remained locked in their battle with the soldiers. Fox saw a slowly mounting number of bodies of the attackers strewn about the ground, felled during the surprise attack and the ensuing firefight. But the soldiers were fading fast. Outmanned and outgunned, they'd finally lost any hope of ending the invasion.

Fox snapped his eyes back to the ship. They were so close, now. And still, the insurgents were fixated upon annihilating the soldiers. _'We're actually gonna make it!' _Fox thought, elated at their success. The loading ramp was still down, allowing entrance. Everything was going perfectly. The vulpine turned on his heal, ready to dash up the ramp. His happiness vanished as he saw the first of the heavy troopers walk into view. The rebel's eyes widened, shocked at seeing an enemy. The split second of surprise ended, and he shouldered his automatic rifle, trigger finger already in motion. Fox's paw reached for his blaster, heart pounding. Time slowed to a crawl as he saw the rebel aiming down the sights. The vulpine drew his blaster and pulled down the trigger, not taking the time to aim.

The bolts of energy from the automatic rifle seared towards Fox at blinding speed, as his own shots rocketed towards their target. The blaster shots hit the insurgent square in the chest, blasting out the bloodied remains of his heart through the exit wound. The three rounds that the rebel had managed to get off clipped Fox's left shoulder just beside his neck. The rebel fell instantly, dieing before he hit the ground. Fox stumbled, his hand covering the small wound. It was neither deep, nor exceedingly damaging, but it still burned. The shooting had transpired in an instant, ending just as the others turned to dash up the ramp.

"Hey Fox, you okay?" Falco asked, stopping to ensure that his friend was okay.

"Yeah, I'm good. Just a scratch," Fox shook off the pain, which had already begun to fade, and tore up the ramp into the ship, trying to catch up with his companions, only to see an entire hallway filled with more insurgents standing four across, all carrying automatic rifles and heavy pistols. Upon seeing the unfamiliar beings, the first of the column released a volley of blaster fire, forcing Fox behind one of the many ridges in the walls that lined this particular hallway, where Katt had already taken cover. It was the cargo level, and each of the storage rooms were divided by a one inch-thick ridge protruding from the wall.

Looking across Fox saw Falco pinned against the other wall. He pulled out his firearm and began firing back in between the blasts flying towards them. It did little good. Even though they were safe for now, the advancing heavy troopers would overwhelm them by sheer force of numbers, and then it would be over. They needed a way to get to the armory. He saw there was an elevator about halfway between them and the soldiers. Suddenly, a plan came to him. It wasn't as professional or as well planned as he'd hoped, but it would have to do.

Flipping on his communicator, he tried to open a connection with ROB. "Come on, come on, don't be deactivated," Fox muttered. A vision of ROB slid into the screen.

"ROB here," the robot said.

"ROB, I need you to open the door to storage room 317," Fox shouted over the hail of gunfire.

"Roger. Door is open," ROB answered.

"Fox, what are you doing? Shoot!" Katt shouted. She held her blaster in her paw, doing her best to keep the troops back. They, too, had taken cover behind the ridges, and were exchanging fire with the mercenaries.

"Give me a second. I got an idea," Fox said, not turning to look at the feline. He was digging through the boxes, searching fervently for the next step in his plan.

By now, the initial attackers had driven the soldiers out of the hangar and into a retreat. The fighting had ceased, but it didn't take long for them to notice the gunfire coming from the Great Fox.

"Oh, shit. They're coming back. What do we do?" Slippy shouted, panicking. If they saw that the others were inside the ship, they'd be cut off and killed. There had to be a way to keep them from getting inside the Great Fox.

"Wait. Slippy, get the gun, and shoot one of those guys," Peppy ordered comely. He knew what to do.

"What? Well okay," Slippy answered hesitantly, shouldering the sniper rifle and aiming down the barrel. He randomly sighted a particularly ugly warthog, and pulled the trigger. The blast went through the side of his head, killing him instantly. All the troops immediately noticed their fallen comrade, and shifted their gaze towards his killer: a now very worried-looking Slippy Toad. "Peppy, they've seen us," he whispered, terrified.

"Good. Now run," the old hair answered, helping Krystal up. The injured vixen limped along as fast as she could, keeping her arm on Peppy's shoulders for support, with Slippy right behind them.

"What are we doing?" Slippy asked when he caught up with Peppy. The insurgents were gaining on them. They were almost to where he and Peppy had been a few seconds prior.

"Turn around and look," Peppy said, stopping and turning around. Slippy followed suit, just in time to see the entire column erupt into an explosion, devastating all those unfortunate enough to be in its path. Bloody limbs were thrown into the air, falling next to the disfigured and mutilated forms of the invaders farther back. "Those bombs really worked out well, wouldn't you say?" Peppy said with a smile, turning to Slippy. Krystal smirked under her breath at their handiwork.

Fox cursed under his breath as he tossed aside yet another box, still searching for the missing component in his plan. Suddenly, he was knocked off his feet as what felt like a massive explosion hit the ship. Jumping back onto his feet, he ripped open another crate, this time grinning as he saw what he'd been looking for.

He pulled out a small black box, completely plain, save for a small red button. Fox grinned, remembering the last time this had been used, then under much more comical circumstances. Turning on his heel, he ran back out into the hallway, staying behind the battered protective ridge.

"Fox, why the hell did you dig that thing up?" Falco shouted, loading his last pistol magazine. The avian had realized what it was instantly; it wasn't a fond memory.

"Getting us out of here," he said with a smile, "Listen, when I say go, run for the elevator." The others nodded, eager for any way to escape. Depressing the button, Fox tossed the small box into the hallway, ducking quickly back behind the ridge as force blasts seared past his head. Though he couldn't see what was about to happen, Fox knew it all too well.

The guards in the hallway had only a moment see the box land in the hallway before a giant inflatable spider seemed to materialize where the box had been, and amazingly, began to creep towards them. Seeing it as a threat, or at least an annoyance, they began firing on it.

On the other side of the giant inflated spider, Fox signaled the others to make a break for it. Dashing to the elevator, Falco jammed the button, and they all piled in the open doors.

As the door closed, Katt looked curiously at the two males, sensing that there was a story behind the giant inflatable spider. Fox sniggered under his breath, and Falco tried his best to retain some manner of dignity.

"So, are you guys gonna tell me what was with the spider?" Katt asked.

"Later. For now, we've gotta take care of these guys," Fox said, still laughing. Katt simply gave him a strange look, while Falco sent him a death glare.

"This means war, McCloud," Falco muttered as the elevator rose further.

"Sir we can't hold them any longer. This building is lost," a lieutenant said to Howitz.

"Damn it," he cursed. As much as it hurt his pride, he couldn't allow his troops to be pointlessly slaughtered. "Pull everybody back to the barracks, and send a detachment to the armory," He ordered.

The officer saluted and ran off to give the orders.


	23. Chapter 23

"Alright," McCloud said, turning to his friends, "once we get to the armory level, we'll salvage whatever weapons we can, then we'll get back in the elevator and drop out the bottom of the Great Fox through the emergency hatch," Fox instructed his team as the elevator came closer to the desired deck. Once it was reached, the doors slid open, revealing an empty hallway ending abruptly in two doors on either side. Without a word, Fox turned to the left, opening the door.

"Well, looks like they were in a hurry," Falco noted, crossing his arms. Some of the weapon cabinets had been ripped open, whereas others looked completely untouched. Empty cartridges lay strewn about the hard metal floor. Not needing any instruction, the three mercenaries began to search the remaining cabinets for any remaining weapons.

Several minutes passed in silence while the mercenaries searched in vain for suitable firearms. "Any luck yet?" Fox asked, tossing aside yet another empty box.

"Nothing yet. I'm beginning to think this is a lost cause. Maybe we should head back," Falco suggested, turning to face his commander.

"Hey, I found something!" Katt said excitedly. The feline held up two assault rifles and tossed one to Fox. "Here, this should be enough."

"Hey, what about me?" Falco whined in his most annoying of voices, "I wanna shoot stuff, too."

"That's all there is. We're lucky they missed these. You can take my blaster as well if you want," Katt said, tossing him the firearm. "But what about the others? Even with these, we still don't have much in the way of firepower."

"We'll just have to make do with what we've got," Fox said, "Now let's get back to the elevator before anybody realizes we're here."

The newly armed mercenaries raced back into the hall and into the elevator. But before Falco had a chance to enter the floor number, the elevator started going down. "What's happening?" Falco asked.

"Looks like someone else called the elevator," Fox answered. The vulpine mashed the call cancel button, only for it to short out, sending a small shower of sparks to the floor. He cursed under his breath, drawing his weapon.

"We need to get out of here," Katt said, keeping her firearm in the holster on her hip.

"Right. I'll open the emergency hatch," Fox answered. The vulpine grabbed a latch with his free paw and ripped it open, revealing the darkened shaft of the elevator. He grunted with effort as he pulled himself up and out of the small room. All around him, the pipes and wires ascended rapidly, creating a dizzying effect. Fox reached down and grabbed Katt's extended paw and pulled the feline out of the elevator.

As he reached for Falco's outstretched wing, the elevator shuddered to a halt. For one terrible moment, all three of them fixed their eyes upon the gleaming metal door. The avian's eyes widened in terror, dreading what was about to happen. "Falco, give me your wing!" Fox shouted in desperation.

'_If they see me coming up, we're all dead. There's no other option…' _The avian understood what he had to do. He's eyes softened, and he turned his gaze towards Katt. "I love you," he said, "Goodbye, Katt." Falco grabbed the latch, and pulled it downward, sealing himself in the elevator. Then, the doors opened. The sound of blaster fire filled the shaft.

Fox covered Katt's mouth with his paw, seeing what was coming. He felt her hot breath as she gave a muffled scream.

It was over in seconds. They could not here Falco's death cry above the sounds of the firearms. Terrible silence filled the air. Fox held his breath, praying that they wouldn't be discovered. He could already feel the tears running down Katt's cheeks, her muffled sobs ruffling the fur on his palm. The vulpines throat began to burn as he felt his own tears begin to well up.

Fox's stomach lurched as the elevator began another rapid descent. A half a minute passed, during which the two mercenaries cried for their loss. Even in grief, they couldn't escape the danger of their situation. The swirling world around them came to a halt as the elevator stopped. They could hear the guards file out.

Lost in the dark, Fox groped about for the latch. Finding it, he thought about what he would see when he looked down. Falco's torn and blooded body, collapsed on the floor of the elevator. The image made him shudder. _'Now is not the time for weakness. I owe it to Falco to keep going,'_ he thought.

With a jerk, the hatch fell open. Fox looked down and nearly threw up. Inside, more blood than he thought could come from a single being was sloshing around on the floor. A tapering trail of it led to the door.

Katt looked over into the elevator as well, gasping at the horrible sight. "Wait, see that. They carried him off! Maybe he's still alive," she said.

"Katt, I don't think so," Fox answered, barely above a whisper.

The feline looked at the vulpine in shock, "What? This is Falco we're talking about. He _has _to be alive," she said, "He just can't be dead." She stared back into the hallway. _'Falco, wherever you are, please hold on. I'm coming,' _

Her voice hardened as she spoke, "If there's a snowball's chance in hell he's alive, I'm going to find him."

"Right now, we need to find the others and regroup." Fox said.

"No," she answered coldly, "If he's lost that much blood, we need to find him _now_. If you won't help me, I'll do it by myself."

"We can't afford to lose someone else. Falco's strong. He can hold out till we get back," Fox urged, "Besides, you wouldn't get very far, and you're no good to Falco or anyone dead."

Katt thought about this for a moment, _'Falco needs our help. He'll die if we don't get him medical attention. But maybe that isn't all Falco's blood. Maybe it's one of the guards. Still, we have to get him out of here. But Fox does have a point, I can't find him alone,' _"Okay," she relented, "but the minute we find the others, were coming back to help Falco."

Fox nodded, before dropping into the elevator, the blood splashing as his boots hit. Katt followed, still uneasy about walking in a puddle of her lover's blood. _'Get it together, Katt. This isn't the time to be squeamish. Only action can save Falco now.'_

"Dammit, still no signal from any of them. I'm startin' to think maybe they're in trouble," Peppy grumbled. The hare chanced a glance over the wall of crates protecting them from the eyes and guns of some four hundred rebels surrounding the Great Fox.

"Peppy, what makes you think they won't come over here?" Slippy asked from behind the hare.

"Remember those bombs we set? Blowing up half the hangar has got them on the edge. Look's like Howitz's pulled his troops back. Besides, they probably already know that the others are somewhere inside the ship, they just don't know where. My guess is they're waiting till they've found the others till they start looking for what they came for," Peppy answered, turning to face his teammate.

"What makes you think they're looking for something?" the toad asked.

"Think about it: They don't have the manpower to mount a full-scale takeover of the entire base. Sure, they took this place easy enough, but with all the soldiers here, they're outnumbered two to one and they know it. The only reason they'd be here is because they wanted something. I just can't imagine what. But I've got a bad feeling that if they find it, we're all in trouble."

Slippy cast a grim look downwards. "So, what do we do now?" he squeaked.

"We wait, there's not a whole lot we can do right now without the others. I just hope they're all alright," Peppy said, slumping down against the stone grey metal of the hangar wall. The aged hare cast a sidelong glance at the azure vixen sitting across from him. "Hey, Krystal, you okay?"

Krystal snapped her gaze from the floor to Peppy, "Yeah, just a little worried. That's all. Well, that and I can't stand," she answered with a wry smile. She turned her gaze back to the ground, returning to her secret thoughts.

Peppy smirked; he knew she hated having to sit on the sidelines of a battle more than she would ever admit. _'And I'm guessing she's more than a little worried about Fox,'_

"Okay, okay, I give, I'm really worried," Krystal said, turning to face the hare, a small smile gracing her face.

Peppy looked up at her, eyes wide in wonder. "I didn't say anything," Peppy said, his tone turning serious.

"Yes you did. You said "And I'm guessing she's more than a little worried about Fox," Krystal answered, her eyebrows furrowing in confusion.

Slippy piped up, "Krystal, Peppy didn't say anything. Or at least if he did, I didn't hear it."

Krystal looked from one to the other, "But I'm sure you said that," she said.

"I thought it," Peppy answered tersely, keeping his gaze fixed on the vixen.

"What? Are you saying you think I can read minds now?" Krystal asked with an almost comical chuckle in her voice.

"Well, only one way to find out. I'll say something in my head, and you tell me if you can hear it," Peppy instructed. Krystal nodded, before closing her eyes, trying to remember what she had been thinking about when she'd supposedly heard Peppy's thoughts.

Slippy looked from one of his teammates to the other, waiting to see if Krystal was, in fact, telepathic. He heard Krystal gave a slight chuckle, before opening her eyes, "Yeah, I guess Fox will have a hard time keeping secrets…" her voice faded, "Wow, well, this is… interesting, I guess."

"Well I'll be damned. Krystal, you can read minds," Peppy said in awe, "This changes things quite a bit."

(One hour later)

From the underside of the Great Fox, a single panel shuddered and slid soundlessly to the side, dropping a ladder, allowing two silent figures to climb down and drop the last six feet to the ground. Neither made a sound as they walked through the hangar, now deadly silent save for their footfalls, to where their companions waited. The female of the two hung her head, boring holes into the ground with her stare.

'_Falco, where are you? You've got to be okay. I'll find you. You've always been there for me, and now it's my turn to help you._

She barely even heard what her companions were saying when Fox told them of Falco's heroic sacrifice. The only thing in her mind was how to get him back. She had to, or else the last shred of familiarity in her life would be gone. Life without Falco was something she couldn't imagine. She couldn't go back to being alone. Years of being on the streets had torn away everything she had loved, except Falco. He'd loved her, told her she was beautiful, and made love to her. She remembered the long nights spent in his arms, her own body pressed against his muscular frame. She shivered at the thought of a lifetime without him, and started praying that she would feel him again.

The feline was vaguely aware of Fox's instructing the others of what they were going to do next. Various plans were tossed back and forth, and she got the general idea they'd come to a consensus.

Katt was shaken from her trance when Fox shook her shoulder, "We'll get him back," he said with what was supposed to be a reassuring smile. She nodded in response, his words barely even registering in her head. She wanted to believe him, that Falco was still alive and that she would rush in and save him. But she couldn't shake the image of the blood-drenched elevator from her mind.

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_(A/N: I know it's been two months. I'm getting the new Sly Cooper chapter up soon. Special thanks to Kit-Karamak for help on this chapter. Also, I want more than 3 reviews for this chapter. So please, R&R if you want the next chapter soon.)_


	24. Chapter 24

_A/N: Okay, new chapter up. Now, there's more than 30 people to have this story on their favs list, and I have reviews from less than half of them. For God sakes people, give me something! Constructive criticism, infinite praise, and suggestions are all welcome. Enjoy._

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"_Damnit, why'd we get stuck with cleanup?"_

The distorted voice echoed through his head, bordering on surreal. A wave of nausea hit him and he felt hot liquid eek from his mouth. Suddenly, he felt himself being dragged across a sleek floor. Every inch of his abused body ached, torn by countless gunshots. Mercifully, the shooting pain stopped, replaced by a dull burn as he stopped moving. Only the dryness of his throat prevented him from groaning.

"_Quit yer bitchin'. I ain't happy 'bout it neither. Geez, the motherfucker didn't go down easy,"_ Another voice, significantly more gravely, barked in reply, _"Well, he's dead now. Hey, maybe he's got somethin' valuable on 'im. Search him."_

What felt like two paws and a pair of claws gripped him hard, slowly lifting him off the ground. The burning stomach acid that had caught in his throat all rushed out at once. The burn elicited a cough from his throat.

"_Holy shit, he's alive!" _the smoother voice shouted. The smash of something blunt and hard compounded the agony he was already feeling. His vision dulled to nothing as he lost consciousness.

For the first time in nearly five hours, the hangar was completely silent. The Great Fox, beaten and stoic, still sat in towards the corner. The section of floor which had suffered the explosion remained charred black, with the bodies of the fallen strewn about. Five stories up from the ground, a small room, filled with glowing monitors and terminals, overlooked the hangar. One of the glass panes had shattered from a stray blast.

A single corridor led out of the room and away towards the other rooms of the base. From up above, in the service shaft, a section of the upper interior shuddered and fell to the ground. A lone shadow dropped from above, landing soundlessly on the corridor floor less then four feet below, searching up and down for any other signs of life. All around him, jets of steam billowed upwards, hissing out from massive cooling lines on either side of him. Bulky cables coated the walls. Every inch of the darkened hall had been as lifeless as the moments before. A sly grin graced his lips. Infiltration always gave him a certain rush. Perhaps because of his vulpine nature, but nevertheless, stalking prey was one of his favorite parts of being a mercenary. He shuffled out of the way and motioned to the opening above him. Another shadow dropped down to the floor, followed by a third.

Turning to his companions, Fox McCloud whispered the instructions once more, his voice nearly drowned out by the workings of the machinery around him. The plan was simple: As soon as they got close enough to a guard, Krystal would probe his mind for information of Falco, and then they'd free him. Without a word from the others, they padded down the hallway, Katt and Krystal in the lead, Fox following behind, each sporting a small blaster and a flashlight.

Crouched over and exerting his best efforts at moving backwards, Fox's eyes scanned the corridor, finding no sign of anyone following them amongst the jets of steam. His ears twitched, searching for the slightest hint of a footfall or breathing over the creaking of machinery. His muscles relaxed, satisfied that they were safe, for the time being. Brushing the sweat forming from his brow, he tapped the communicator newly fixed to his ear and whispered to his amphibious friend, "Slippy, we're in the service shaft. Where do we go now?"

The toad's voice crackled through the channel, _"Well, there should be another shaft to the left of you, about 50 meters up. There's an iron grating at the end of that. Drop down to the level below, and just keep going in that same direction and that would lead to a small communication center. Maybe there's someone there who knows something about Falco."_

"Got it, Slip. Fox out." The channel died, and Fox turned towards his companions, "50 meters on the left."

The feline nodded, turning back forwards. Blasts of hot air assaulted her as she pushed further into the already smothering heat. She cursed under her breath at the humidity of the cramped shaft. The slow pace and her crouched position only agitating her more, placing the flashlight in her mouth. The flashlight only illuminated a few feet in front of her. _'Falco, you had better be alive.'_

It was only a few silent moments before they reached the shaft that their companion had spoken of. Katt groaned silently at seeing that the shaft was even narrower. Lying down on her stomach, she began crawling. Black oil streaked her fur and clothes causing her shirt and pants to wrinkle. The feline could feel the fur on her forearms starting to be ripped out, little by little.

From far ahead, Katt saw a dim light. A weary smile graced her lips as she redoubled her pace. The iron grating from which the light shone slid into her view. The feline latched her claws onto the iron bars and ripped it open with a grunt. She leapt down, rolled across her shoulder before coming to a standing position, blaster at the ready. Again, there was nobody in sight. From behind her she could hear Krystal and Fox drop down.

"Glad to be out of there," she muttered to her companions. She raised her paws above her head, taking a moment to stretch out her back. "Krystal, how close do you need to get to hear their thoughts?"

"I don't know. It's sorta like, if they scream something in their head, I hear it loud and clear. but if they just whisper it, it's like a whisper," the vixen answered, "And, they actually have to say it in their head. I can't search out something if they aren't thinking about it."

"Great, so we have to prompt them to think about Falco in order to figure out where he is?" Katt asked.

"There's no way of doing that. We have to just hope that someone happens to be thinking about him," Fox interjected.

Katt sighed, "The odds of that are slim to none. We have to hurry. The longer we wait, the better the chance of everyone forgetting about Falco."

The others nodded in agreement, and all three bolted towards the communications center, trying to keep their footfalls as quiet as possible. "This doesn't make any sense. We should have encountered at least someone by now," Katt said.

"I know. You thinking maybe this is a trap?" Fox answered.

"It doesn't matter," Katt answered, her voice cold, "Let's just get Falco and get out of here."

Fox chanced another peek into the small room, checking to see if they were actually as fortunate as he had thought. His second glance at the room had yielded the same result as the first. The chairs in front of brightly lit monitors were unoccupied.

"Great, what do we do now?" Katt asked, placing her blaster back in its holster.

All were silent for a moment, pondering what to do about their situation. Without any of the communications officers around, it would be impossible to find Falco. Krystal could sense the hearts of her companions sinking. She thought hard as to what could be done. But no discernable solution presented itself to the blue vixen. Indeed, the situation seemed hopeless.

Suddenly, Katt's eyes brightened, "Hey, wait. I've got an idea. Maybe, we can just use the radio to contact one of the prison guards. It's possible we can fool them into thinking we're part of the communications team."

"Yeah, and if we give ourselves away, they'll know we're here and then were screwed," Fox said.

"Do you have a better idea?" the feline asked.

Fox's silence momentary signaled his agreement. "I'll contact the guard on the other end and try to find out where Falco is. You two cover the entrance," he instructed. The others complied and turned their attention towards the still empty corridor.

The vulpine captain took a deep breath, steeling himself. He depressed the button buzzing the guard on the other end, only to realize he had no idea what to say.

"_Sir, what's the problem?"_

"I… uh… need to know the location of the blue avian. We're… moving some of the higher level prisoners to a more secure location for… interrogation and transport off-planet," Fox answered, making up the most believable lie he could think up.

"_I wasn't aware any such action was taking place. Who gave this order?"_

Panic gripped Fox. He was a hair's breadth away from giving the entire plan away. Thinking as fast as he could, he spoke back into the communicator.

"Hell, I have no idea. They just told me to ask whoever was down they're where that guy was and prep him for transport," Fox half barked, trying his best not to stutter. Silence ensued, and Fox swallowed hard, hoping that his flimsy lie had been believed. Several seconds stretched on, and still the communicator remained silent.

"_What is the name of the prisoner?"_

"Falco Lombardi," he answered.

"_He's on Level 4, Cell block D, Cell 1138"_

The air whooshed from his lungs in an audible sigh of relief. "Okay, thank you, over and out." Fox reached for the switch to close the channel, but not before he heard the voice of the guard again.

"_Just one more thing: What's your name and rank? I need to be able to put this down in records, or else it's my ass they'll be pinning to the wall."_

Fox balked, knowing he'd been caught. Getting this far had only been sheer dumb luck. Without a second thought, he picked up his blaster and shot the communication terminal, effectively blowing up a square foot of equipment, including the radio. "Boring conversation anyways," he whispered, before turning to his companions. "We've got to go. We're gonna have company."

"I can handle a firefight. Did you find out where he is?" Katt asked coldly, not turning her gaze from the hallway. Fox paused, noticing her confrontational tone. It had seemed to be more common of late. He assured himself it was because of Falco.

"Yeah, Level four, cell block D, cell 1138, but if we don't get there fast enough, they might move him," Fox answered, "Let's move."

The three mercenaries clambered out into the hallway, harried by the prospect of losing their friend this late in the operation. "Look, stairs," Krystal noted, pointing to a door on the left. Fox didn't bother skidding to a halt, instead throwing his weight into the door. It opened up into a grand stairwell spiraling upwards and downwards. A check over his shoulder revealed them to be on level 3. He bolted up the stairs two at a time, the others on his heels.

He spun on his heal and darted up the rest of the flight, and skidded through the door. A large letter 'C' was painted in red directly across from him. Five rows of cells sat one on top of the other, each spanning at least a dozen units across. At the very end of either row was an iron portcullis, isolating the section from the others.

"Damn, must be used for crowd control," Katt cursed as the reached the gate.

"Here, I'll just blast it," Fox answered, pointing his blaster at the lock. The vulpine pulled the trigger and the lock exploded into a small fireball of twisted metal. Suddenly, a blaring siren erupted from hidden speakers far above them.

"Security breach," it repeated endlessly in a robotic voice. Everywhere, scarlet lights flared on and off, casting strange shadows in every direction. Something resembling an air siren alerted all guards in the area to their presence.

"Aw, hell," Fox swore under his breath.

_The dulling pain throughout his body brought him back into consciousness before his eyes even opened. Heavy bass pulsations, almost too deep to hear, echoed in his head. Forcing his eyes open, he saw everything bathed in scarlet light. He turned his head, trying to find a door. His world swirled, mixing shapes and shadows into a sickening display of colors. The scarlet light faded as his gaze fell upon the iron bars and the chrome wall beyond. _

_With his head pressed against the ground, he heard a rapid pattering, almost like rain. Three shapes stumbled into his view, floating like ghosts. The shapes came closer, and the iron gate seemed to swing open, and they approached where he lay. One of the shapes knelt down beside him, and he could see now that it was electric pink. For some reason, he felt better, more comfortable with this pink ghost next to him. _

_He heard muffled voices which faded to whispers before unconsciousness took him once more. _

"_Falco," a dreamy voice echoed. _

_He stirred shifting through what felt like a water. The voice reminded him of someone, someone he loved deeply. _

"_Wake up, baby bird," the voice said, giggling slightly._

_His eyes flickered open, looking up into two stunning emerald eyes. A smile tugged at the edges of her lips. "There now. Doesn't this seem like a familiar situation? You've got a knack for almost dying," Falco smiled, not breaking his gaze from the grinning feline above him. _

From his position over him, the marmoset scientist heard the patient mutter the name 'Katt' under his breath. The doctor shook his head at the avian. He was lucky to have survived the firefight, let alone getting found alive amongst the other dead bodies. _'Lucky bastard's probably dreaming of someone special. Let's just hope it stays clean.'_

"I don't get it. Where the hell his he?" Katt shouted above the raging alarms at their teammates. The cell that Slippy had claimed that Falco was in was completely deserted.

The cold metal of a gun barrel pressed against the nape of her neck. "Sorry, bitch, you're boyfriend ain't here, and your slimy friend's either dead or pleading for the life of some whore. Now get up."


End file.
